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LOCKSMITHING 


AND 


GENERAL SHOP 
INFORMATION 


CONTAINING AN EXCEPTIONALLY COMPLETE AND COMPRE- 
HENSIVE TREATISE ON THE ENTIRE FIELD OF LOCKSMITHING 
TOGETHER WITH A LIBERAL ASSORTMENT OF USEFUL IN- 
FORMATION COLLECTED AND ARRANGED FOR NOT ONLY 
LOCKSMITHS BUT THOSE DOING SIMILAR WORK IN HOTELS, 
OFFICE BUILDINGS AND INSTITUTIONS OF VARIOUS KINDS, 
HARDWARE DEALERS, NQYEL?Y> SHops ap’ ETC., IN’ FACT. 


20 2-6 3@ e.6°_6 et ae 
.@ gion. ra > o's & s 


FOR ANYONE ENGAGED, SRM ANY VAY INTORESTED IN THE 


LOCKSMITHING BUSINESS. | 


Om <3 $ i) ee) 


2 > ® pooe oe” 6090080 
ARRANGED 
AND 
PUBLISHED 
BY 


H. W. ROUTSON 


OAKLAND, CALIF, — 


COPYRIGHTED 1925 


H. W. ROUTSON 


TAME NOI AO Lf OOOO NG NOOO NO ONGOING NGO) ORL OIIN BASED STE 


HIND | 

B eer K 
ceria EVERY 
YEAR. 


mae a 
fe 
WY 
/ i . 
|G 
i 
- 4 
A yy Tt > 


Si OO OA WOOL OOO) VO. NOLO VOLS OV NO) OL Oi 8 OLS Gy NO OOO Ors 


fi re hay A Toast. 

« fiete is it toast Ewanteo: d“ink . : 
To a fellow I’ll never know; 

To, the fellow who’s going: to take my place 

: When it's time for me to. go. 


“hes wonterty: ait at of a chap he’ll be, 
And I’ve wished I could take his hand 


In a way that he’d understand. 


I’d like to give him the cheerful word 
That I’ve longed at times to hear! 

I’d like to give him the warm hand-clasp 
When never a friend seems near. 


I’ve gained my knowledge by sheer hard work, 
And I wish I could pass it on 

To the fellow who'll come to take my place 
Some time when I am gone. 


ebiaw eee Aa aN 


THE GETTY CENTER 
LIBRARY 


Just to whisper, ‘‘I wish you well, old man,’’ 


ee 


@iaNiten ita. ‘ei « 


Atve\ 


ant fanitrax 


Vii fav tt avi extant ax: /ay italiani (an! eX, 


anti ay 


PREFACE 


This little book, a treatise on LOCK- 
SMITHING AND GENERAL SHOP IN- 
FORMATION, which has also been quite 
appropriately termed, 500 TRICKS OF 
THE TRADE, contains a very complete, 
comprehensive, plainly written and liberally 
illustrated collection of the best ways and 
means of handling the numberless jobs a 
locksmith or general novelty shop repair- 
man will be called upon to do. 


A large number of the so-called ‘tricks’ 
herein described have been originated and 
worked out by a score of the very best ex- 
perts in this line in the country and their 
publication is the result of no little amount 
of ingenuity and personal persuasion on the 
writers part in getting’ possession of many 
of these ideas which seemingly have been 
considered and cherished as their personal 
professional trade qualifications or secrets, 
-and never intending that they should be- 
come known through publication channels. 


In reality the entire contents of this book 
might well be classed or considered as con- 
fidental trade information, consequently 
it is not the intention of the writer and 
publisher that the book will be indiscrim- 
inately distributed, but is intended to be 
used only by those who are following 
this line in a perfectly honorable and legit- 
imate way and while the work treats the sub- 
ject generally there will be found nothing 
therein on which the opening of individual 
locks will be touched, but only collectively 
and in a general way will the subject be 


handled. 


5 
IG eS SS 


It is a well known law of human nature 
that ‘practice makes perfect’ and it seems 
to apply excellently in this case for when one 
works year after year in any particular line, 
if he is at all interested and has any traces 
of ‘grey matter’ it is quite reasonable that 
he should become very proficient or an ex- 
pert in that particular vocation regardless 
of the line it should happen to be. 


When! originally contemplated getting out 
a book of this nature | had in mind the fact 
that without a doubt there were many ex- 
perts in the locksmithing line throughout 
the country possessing original ideas that 
they naturally felt belonged to them in- 
dividually and were keeping them well 
guarded against the possibility of becoming 
generally known and consequently the pub- 
lication of many of the stunts herein 
described are the result of no little amount 
of scheming and manipulation on the part 
of the writer to be able to give you any 
information at all on some of them. 


It is not my purpose or intention to make 
this TREATISE ON LOCKSMITHING a 
book that possibly might make a world-wide 
reputation by its beauty or size, but on the 
contrary | am perfectly willing to risk its 
future solely on the value of its contents and 
from the encouragement I| have already re- 
ceived, | am reasonably certain | need not 
worry much from that score. 

] have also taken into consideration the 
fact that it is intended and designed for a 
practical daily reference and its size has 
been made such that it will easily fit almost 
any pocket and thereby be conveniently at 
hand for any emergency. 

When I first began to think seriously of 


6 


getting out a book of this nature, [ debated 
with myself for some little time before de- 
ciding to spend the necessary outlay of time 
and money on such a venture. 


It was a question whether or not the’ field 
would be sufficient to expect any returns for 
the work and investment necessary. The 
encouragement | have received however in 
the earlier editions | have published, (which 
by the way were no where near as complete 
as this) has convinced me that beyond a 
doubt the majority of those engaged in this 
particular line are not only eager but anxious 
to better themselves in every way possible 
and it is this class of workmen for which this 
little book has been arranged. 


A number of additional stunts have been 
added to each successive edition as they have 
been brought out, making them more com- 
plete each time but never until now have | 
‘been quite satisfied in this respect and it is 
my ambition to make this edition so finished 
and complete that there will be but little 
chance for criticism especially on the subject 
of the modern locks and key work. 


The cylinder lock, owing to its many 
superior features and advantages is fast tak- 
ing the place of all other locking devices 
wherever reliability and security is an object 
and its adaptability to every conceivable 
purpose as a lock places it in a class by itself, 
consequently you need not be _ surprised 
should you find considerable space devoted 
to this particular kind. 


Do not be misled, however, by the above 
assertion for you can rest assured that every 
different variety of lock will be taken into 
consideration and all the available informa- 
tion will be treated practically, thoroughly 


7 


and as completely as possible so that even 
a beginner will be able to get a full under- 
standing of the entire line and wherever it 
will be possible to improve the description 
by illustrations they will be liberally in- 
cluded. 


No doubt to an old experienced locksmith 
or novelty shop man there will be lots of 
*“‘stunts’’ described that he already knows but 
to serve all, it must be complete, conse- 
quently my only suggestion is that the ex- 
perienced man can add the new ideas he 
finds, which I am certain will be numerous, 
to what he already knows and then get big 
returns for the investment. 


For a number of years of my earlier ex- 
perience | was lucky or unlucky (which ever 
you wish to term it) enough to draw a 
travelers job and my business was of such a 
nature that it continually brought me in con- 
tact with many of the very best locksmiths 
all over the country and naturally of course 
I became, you might say, intimately acquaint- 
ed with many of them and though | felt 
personally that I did not by considerable 
know it all | soon discovered | was able to 
show many of them ‘stunts’ in the lock 
business new to them and it continued to 
occur so regularly that in time it dawned on 
me that if | was able to show most of them 
something new, why not get out some in- 
formation on the line for the good of us all 
and the little book herewith submitted is the 
result. 

After I had fully decided to get out some- 
thing of this nature, for a long time | made 
notes of all the different ideas as they came 
to me and along with what | had in store of 
my own, | was able to get out my first trea- 


8 


tise on locksmithing and a poor excuse it 
was almost a disgrace. 

~ You may believe me or not, but I| assure 
you it is no small job when one is obliged 
to not only do all the thinking, writing, and: 
planning, but even make all the drawings: 
for every cut which is no small job in itself. 
In fact I found the whole undertaking an 
excellent consumer of midnight oil. 

I am going to treat exch subject as plainly 
and completely as possible and wherever an 
illustration will be of any assistance in mak- 
ing the descriptions plainer it will be used 
and if the reader is but a beginner he should 
have no difficulty in thoroughly understand- 
ing all of the different stunts in every detail. 

Not as a matter of apology or anything of 
that nature | will say that even if the subject 
of locksmithing has never been published be- 
fore, from a qualification standpoint it com- 
pares very favorably with many trades or 
professions upon which book after book has 
been written. 

With all the care and caution | am taking 
of the possibility of overlooking anything 
of any value, that very thing may possibly 
happen but even if it does I am positive the 
reader will find plenty to keep one guessing 
for some little time. 

As I| have said before every stunt will not 
be new to the experienced locksmith, but I 
will promise all, experienced or otherwise, 
that they will find, time after time descrip- 
tions worth many times the price of the 
book. | 

It is reasonably certain that I have already 
bored the average reader sufficiently with 
the customary preliminary ‘slush’ and it is 
high time that we get down to the real ob- 
ject of our mission ‘(LOCKSMITHING’. 

9 


LOCKSMITHING 


In traveling around the country as | did 
for several years I will confess that I was 
many times very much surprised at the dif- 
ferent characters of people interested in the 
Locksmithing business. Many were real ex- 
perts in the line, but the majority were crude 
and simply (‘“‘would be’s’’). Many were so 
wise it was utterly impossible to tell them 
anything, in fact they did not want to know 
anything more, but the real locksmith was 
always looking for everything new that would 
help him in any way, and it is this class of 
workmen for whom this little book has been 
arranged—the “‘know it alls’ are hopeless 
cases. 

As an example—I once called on a lock- 
smith in a good sized western town and as it 
so happened he was at work making a key 
for a Yale four lever padlock. It was a case 
of simply murdering the lock, a blacksmith 
could have done a far better job than he was 
doing, so | suggested that I was quite certain 
there was a much better way of doing the job 
than the way he was going at it—one that 
was much easier and did not in any way 
injure the lock. He flared up as huffed as 
could be—made a wonderful $100.00 bet 
offer that it couldn’t be done, but when I 
seriously began making preparations to 
take him up on his wonderful bet he imme- 
diately backed completely out, gave me to 
understand he did not want to know any 
better way, his was plenty good enough. I 
telate this little incident merely as a sample 
of the general view of many similar expe- 
riences and it is just this class of “hot air” 
experts we are not wasting or consuming any 
energy on. 


10 


As the cylinder lock of today is so popular 
and possesses so many superior features, | 
will devote the first division and descriptions 
to this variety. 


Owing to its peculiar design there seems to 
be no limit to the uses of this principal of 
cylinder construction, and you will see them 
arranged and designed for every conceiv- 
able purpose for which a lock is used and all 
possessing the same pin tumbler principal. 


It is wonderful how this particular line has 
grown into popularity and familiarity since it 
was first introduced to the public along about 
the year 1869 by a man by the name of Yale, 
who if the story is correct, like many others, 
had his troubles to begin with but by per- 
sistence and perseverence, hard work, and 
long hours, finally won out and from an in- 
significant start his business has undergone 
developments until now the Yale and Towne 
establishment is a mammoth institution 
working thousands of people. And if the 
acknowledgment could be rightly placed, I 
am reasonably sure we would be obliged to 
give them credit for one thing and that is, 
they have educated the public to such an 
extent that at least 85% refer to a cylinder 
lock as a Yale regardless of the name of the 
firm that manufactured it 


Referring to the different makes of cylin- 
der locks, there are a number on the market, 
and practically without exception any one 
is almost a duplicate of the others, the only 
difference being the arrangement of the key 
hole, these are all different, aside from this 
they are as near alike as two peas in a pod. 

At this point the question arises, which 
is the best lock? (A question that has been 
put to me thousands of times, and in answer 


will say this—The Yale is perhaps the most 
popular, not necessarily because it is the 
best, but more on account of the firm’s per- 
sistent advertising, and the working organ- 
ization behind it, then comes the Corbin, 
Sargent, R. E. Penn, and many others all 
' good and probably one just as good as the 
other. They have to be or they could not 
exist—competition is too ‘keen’ now-a-days. 

From the above statements it will be 
readily seen that a complete description of 
the cylinder lock will apply to all the dif- 
ferent makes, for they are practically iden- 
tical in construction and a general descrip- 
tion will apply to all except perhaps for 
some minor detail which of course will be 
considered though it may be of no great 
consequence. 

Referring to the cut on page 15, No. | 
represents the cylinder from which no doubt 
the commercial name has been adopted. 
Next to it will be seen the plug or the part 
which takes the key, the pins and springs 
are represented just above. 

No. 5 is a cylinder assemble, completely 
made up of practically three parts, the cylin- 
der, the plug, and the pins. By carefully 
noting the construction and assembled cyl- 
inder, it will be seen that the locking con- 
dition is accomplished by the pins being held 
in their respective holes to certain fixed 
positions brought about by the pins being 
held firmly in position by the little springs 
above each of them. The unlocked, or turn- 
ing position is accomplished by the bit of 
the proper key which will be explained later. 

In other words the pins act as little bolts 
holding the plug into the locked position and 
it is only possible to turn it without the pro- 
per key by ‘actually shearing the entire row. 


12 


It will also be seen the different key com- 
binations are accomplished by varying the 
length of the pins, consequently the number 
of key changes possible is governed entirely 
by the different lengths, it is possible (with 
safety) to divide a pin into. 


For those who do not thoroughly under- 
stand the key making idea, I| will ask you to 
look over drawing No. 2 carefully, and then 
follow the different steps accordingly. 


To begin with, each cylinder pin hole will 
contain two pins and a spring and if a key 
were to be inserted in No. | it would turn 
the plug for the reason that there are no 
pins to interfere but if placed or inserted in 
No. 2 it could not turn the plug unless it was 
cut so that it raised the pins until the joint 
between the upper and lower ones were 
exactly in line with the joint between the 
plug and the cylinder. 


In other words, referring to No. 2, the 
key must raise pin D up sufficiently so that 
A will be exactly in line with joint B, the 
plug would then turn and the key would 
work. As this is the all important feature 
of this variety of lock, it is absolutely neces- 
sary that the reader thoroughly understands 
every detail and | will go still another step 
in explanation. 

_ For example, we will take four cylinders 
like No. 2, and if the D pins were the same 
length in each of them, a key cut to fit any 
one would fit them all, but if a single one 
varied in length, either longer or shorter 
than the others, that particular plug would 
not work for the reason that the key would 
lift the D pin either too high or not high 
enough so that joint A would be either 
above or below Joint B, again if A was held 


13 


below B the plug would be locked by the pin 
C, and if A were above B it would be held 
by D. This surely ought to be enough to 
teach anyone the idea of the cylinder. No. 
15, page 41, shows cylinder complete. 

The next step will be on the combination 
features which are determined as follows. 
To begin with, it is all accomplished by the 
difference in length of the D pins, see No. 2. 
If, for example this D pin were made in say, 
ten different lengths, it would mean there 
were ten different combinations, no two of 
them being alike, and it would take ten dif- 
ferent keys to operate cylinders set up with 
these ten different pins. 

And as there are no cylinders manufac- 
tured with but one pin, we will go another 
step in explanation, with the assertion that 
regardless of the number of pins used, each 
set is worked out on exactly the same prin- 
cipal as No. 2. A key, when properly 
fitted, must raise every D pin in the plug 
so that the joints A will exactly line up 
with B. 

As soon as you have the above directions 
thoroughly fixed in your mind, you will have 
no difficulty in making a perfectly working 
key. 

I have mentioned the fact that above each 
set of pins is a spring and no doubt it will 
be well for me to give a little more in detail 
for this feature of the construction is as 
essential and important as the pins them- 
selves. The object of these little coil springs 
is to always hold the pins down to the very 
bottom of the holes in which they work. 
In this way the pins are always forced to 
bear on the bit of the key when inserted, 
and consequently, line the A joint up with- 
out fail and as soon as the key is withdrawn 

14 


“w& 


PINSANOSPRINGS ALMOST BE RAISEO IN LINE WITH 
Boy KEY BEFORE PLOG CAN 
BR TORNKR., | 
A voint BETWEEN 
VPPER ANO LOWER 
PINS 

B:pLog soInTt 
Cuupeper PIN 
DsLoweR Piiv 


POUBLE FOLLOWER, 
TWo SIZES 


Cot OOF TOFIT ewes OF 
CYLUNDRR PLOGE, 


No 7 


KAWweY BLYUCK AND Box 
FOR HOLOING PIVS AND 


SPRINGS. SEPERHTERY 
Box FoR SchRwe qve ETC 


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BRISTLES: 


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ae rh Re ae SSS Xsosver TO HqANOKe 

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Good ANO STRONG, MAKE Hie OF HEAVIER HW AAS 


No 10. 


15 


the pins are automatically forced to the bot- 
tom of there respective holes, and the plug 
remains locked. 


By reference to the drawing, it will be 
seen that I have only described a cylinder 
having but one combination to each set of 
pins, in other words but one A joint to each 
set and while this system of construction is 
sufficient for the ordinary lock many of the 
better class of building installations demand 
something more’ elaborate. 


By this, I mean that the locks are master- 
keyed and grand master-keyed, of course 
this necessitates considerable more in the 
way of complications, and owing to its im- 
portance, must be thoroughly understood 
for a locksmith will come in contact with 
these conditions continually, especially if he 
is located in some of the larger sized cities. 

Master-keyed locks are generally used in 
hotels, office buildings, and in fact, any- 
where, where some sort of service goes with 


the building. 


I will cover this feature of set up as com- 
pletely and plainly as possible for it is abso- 
lutely necessary for one to thoroughly under- 
stand the ‘stunt’ in order to handle a job 
intelligently, for this line of work is coming 
in to play more and more every day and the 
better you understand it the faster you will 
be able to turn out the work, consequently 
making yourself that much more efficient, 
and efficiency is the prime object of this 
little book. : 

Referring to drawing No. 3, page 15, it 
will be seen that there are three pins of vary- 
‘ing lengths, F-G and H, and a key, if:cut so 
it would raise the pins up sufficiently so that 
H would cause joint 2 to line up with plug 


16 


joint J—it would work, now if another key 
were cut so it would raise the pins up until 
joint | exactly lined up with J it would also 
work. There would then be two different 
keys working in the same lock. 


Now let us suppose that there was a set 
of say, ten locks, and all the H pins in each 
were the same, the same key would work on 
all ten cylinders. This would be the master 
key. The next step would be to fit a set of 
G pins to each of the ten cylinders, being 
careful to have no two sets alike, it would 
then require a different key to work each 
cylinder, these would be the common keys. 


The condition you would then have would 
be, ten locks with a different key for each, 
and a single key, or master, that would fit 
them all. 

A few suggestions at this stage, might 
come in well—for instance, it will not be 
necessary to have every set of pins different 
in each cylinder for the common keys, every 
pin but one could be the same length, and 
you could still have ample difference on but 
one pin, so that the keys would not be inter- 
changeable. 

- In making keys for master-keyed Tacks: 
great care must be taken not to get the pins 
mixed, for very serious results are sure to 
follow, especially if you happen to master- 
key a set of locks that already have some 
keys out, or likewise in making a key for a 
cylinder that is already master-keyed. 

I would not advise anyone to attempt to 
masterkey a set of locks until they are very 
familiar with this line of work and it would 
be well to practice on two or three cylinders 
until you get the idea thoroughly fixed in 
your mind, just how it is done. Even with 


17 


the best of them it takes plenty of time and 
patience to make a nicely working set. 

To get the system of master-keying thor- 
oughly in your mind, I| will give you a sys- 
tem describing three cylinders and as the 
same principle applies to all such jobs, [| 
think you will be able to understand and 
work out the system without much difficulty. 


We will take three cylinders and set them 
up to a key, that is, so that the same key will 
unlock them all, and to simplify the work 
and make it as easy to understand as possi- 
ble, set these three cylinders up with short 
pins, consequently the cuts on the key will 
not be very deep and the pins will drop low 
when the key is removed. Now take cyl- 
inder number one and fit it up to a second 
key by adding more short pins on top of the 
ones already in the plug which fitted the first 
key. Fit the second key to the plug and 
consider each pair of pins in each hole just 
as though it was one solid pin, being very 
careful not to change the pins, or rather, the 
length of pins, that were arranged for the 
first key; proceed in this same manner with 
all three cylinders and the result will be that 
-you have one key that will fit them all and 
three keys that fit only one each. As many 
duplicates from these three may be made as 
desired and, of course, the master-key may 
be duplicated also, but the intention with 
these generally is to keep the number as low 
as possible in order to keep track of all of 
them, as they are a very important key to 
have, especially if it should belong to a large 
‘office building or some hotel. 


When the original combination is set up 
at the factory it is generally done by first 
inserting a cut key into the plug and fitting 


18 


pins so that they are just flush with the plug, 
then inserting the plug into the cylinder and 
adding the other halves of the pins, then the 
springs, and finally the slide cap, or top. 


This is one way of making a key and is a 
very good way in getting rid of cut keys that 
otherwise would be an entire loss. In this 
way you get full price for them and though 
it is a little slow it is well worth the time, 
considering the high cost of material at the 
present time. 


Here is one way of making an original 
key: First remove the sliding cap covering 
' the row of pins, carefully holding your finger 
over the holes as the cap is withdrawn, 
otherwise the springs will fly out and you 
will never be able to find them, as they are 
wonderful things to jump out of sight. Now 
carefully take out the springs, laying them 
so that they will not get together to keep 
from getting tangled up; when the springs 
are out carefully tip the cylinder to one side 
enough so that you can, with a pair of 
tweezers, get hold of and take out the upper 
half of each pair of pins, being careful again 
not to get these mixed. When you have 
done this turn it again so that the remaining 
pins in the cylinder are straight up and 
down; the plug can now be taken out. Now 
take the proper blank and file it so that the 
pins will be just flush with the plug. 


When this is done insert the plug into the 
cylinder, put back the other halves of the 
pins just as they were taken out, put back 
the springs and the cap, and if you did a 
good job of fitting the key to the plug you 
will have a perfectly working key; if you left 
any of the pins a little low or high the key 
will not work smoothly, and if it is a new 


19 


lock it may not work at all; be sure to get 
them just flush and you will have no trouble. 
This is a good, reliable system, but is not 
used much on account of its being so very 
slow. 


Another system which is easy to learn and 
very quick and handy is the tapping system. 
The best success that I have had is to do it 
in the following way: 


I take a piece of friction tape about four 
inches long and fold it to one inch long, lay 
this over the back end of the plug (see 
drawing No. 4, page 15). Now hold the 
cylinder in your hand exactly as in the draw- 
ing (see No. 5) and proceed as follows: 
Take a good hickory hammer handle, not 
too heavy, but one | would say that would 
be used on a rather large tack hammer; now, 
holding the cylinder as illustrated, firmly in 
your fingers, tap with quick blows along 
_where the slide is, allowing it to give to the 
front when you feel it loosen; the instant it 
loosens allow the plug to slip forward only 
about one-sixteenth of an inch, then care- 
fully turn to right or left about one-twelfth 
of a revolution. This particular part is very 
important for this reason: do not let it come 
more than one-sixteenth of an inch forward 
in order that the upper pins will not be able 
to drop back into place, and turning to right 


or left is to keep the pins from dropping into 
the holes ahead and also that they will slip 
along on the plug to the very end, which 
must be pushed out with a follower in order 
to keep the upper half of the pins in place; 
when you have pushed out the plug with a 
follower (see cut No. 6), you have the plug 


20 


with the lower half of the pins in it; now fit 
a key as previously described; when you 
have fitted a key and are ready to put back 
the plug, do it in this way: start it back into 
the cylinder with the follower ahead and be 
very careful not to push it back in without 
the key in place, otherwise the first pin of 
the cylinder will drop into the last hole of 
the plug and you will have to take it all apart 
to get it together at all, so it is necessary to 

be very careful in this respect. | 


If you fail to open the cylinder after tap- 
ping a few times, loosen up on the tension of 
your fingers and you will hear the pins drop 
back; this will show that you are on the right 
track, and it is only a case of keeping at it 
and you will soon succeed; on the other 
hand, if you do not hear the pins drop back, 
it will show that you are holding the plug too 
tightly, or something else is wrong. Nine 
times out of ten, yes, I will say even better 
than that, you will be able to open them in 
this way without any trouble in an average 
of less than two minutes. Simply keep these 
things in mind: Do not press too hard; if 
you do not feel the plug give after tapping 
a few times, release the pressure and try it 
over again. Be very careful and do not let 
it slip too far out when it does let loose. Be 
careful and have a follower that fits the end 
of the plug when you push it out, so that the 
pins from the cylinder will not get into any 


of the holes of the plug or you will have to 
take it all to pieces. And when pounding 
on the top to open, pound along from end 
to end directly over the pins, and at the 
front end you will always have to even 
pound on the flanged end; this is a little hard 


21 


on the stick, but sticks are cheap. A little 
practice and you will be able to open prac- 
tically any cylinder in a few seconds, and 
the stunt is well worth the space I have de- 
voted to it, if it is new to you. Squirting a 
little gasoline into the cylinder helps a great 
deal at times. 


Still another way which is often used to 
good advantage is as follows: Insert the 
proper blank, which has the effect of raising 
all the pins to their limit of height; now take 
a piece of very thin steel (such as a piece of 
thin steel tape line) and from the back care- 
fully slip in the steel until it gently comes in 
contact with the first pin; now slip out the 
key until you feel the pin beginning to lower, 
and when it comes to the joint the steel will 
slip in between the two halves; push your 
steel up to the next pin and proceed in the 
same manner. Repeat this until you have 
separated all the pins, and take out the blank 
key. The next thing is to take a follower 
that is a loose fit and push out the plug, 
being very careful not to allow the steel to 
get from between the pins, and keep it in 
place until you have the follower entirely in 
and the plug out. When the plug is out it 
will contain the lower half of the pins; then 
fit a key as already described on a preceding 
page. While this process is not used very 
much, | have found a few cases where it 
came in very nicely. (See follower illus- 


trated, No. 6, page 15). 


The following system I| have used to good 
advantage, especially on rare occasions when 
they do not yield to the tapping process or 


22 


on some door that is locked: Slip into the 
lock the proper blank. This raises all the 
pins so that the upper half is above, or at 
least flush with, the plug joint; now deter- 
mine where you think the point is that a 
hole, if drilled at the side of a row of pins, 
would just catch them all and at the same 
time allow the lower half to drop when the 
key blank is withdrawn. Drill with a small, 
say No. 58, drill just to the side, aiming to 
just catch enough of the pin to hold it up, 
leaving.in, the drill, you will see that if you 
have made a good guess when the key is tak- 
en out the lower pins will drop and, of course, 
the cylinder will turn and unlock. While 
this system may be worked to very good 
advantage a great many times, it is not a 
first-class stunt, for it is uncertain and has 
the disadvantage of defacing to some extent 
the front of the cylinder and damaging the 
interior. You will find that while it is not 
an A-| way, you will sometimes be justified 
in using it nevertheless. This system will be 
more completely described later. 


Another way which was described to me, 
and which was claimed to be used to very 
good advantage, was to take a piece of thin 


celluloid, or even thin wood, say about one- 
eight inch wide, and cement onto it a row 
of stiff bristles for about the length of a key 
bit; clip them off so that the whole thing is 
about the width of a key blank and work as 
follows: Carefully insert the bristle key 
(which in reality it is) and hold the plug 
with the fingers, giving it a slight twisting 
strain. While you are doing this, work the 
“bristle key’’ back and forth; this will have 


23 


the effect of raising the pins, and when they 
come to the joint of the plug and cylinder 
enough give will take place to hold it just 
at this point; keep doing this until all the 
pins have been raised, if they will raise, and 
if you are able to get them all up to the 
proper height, the lock will, of course, open. 
I made one of these keys once and it seemed 
to work well for a limited time, but it had 
the disadvantage of being very frail and 
going to pieces very soon. You will find a 
drawing (No. 8, page 15) which will give 
you an idea of just how it was done. 


Still another way is to make a key on the 
following plan: Take a piece of brass and 
solder wire lifters in the different positions, 
using heavier wire for the two longest pieces 
than the others. I will illustrate one that I 
saw, and should you care to make one, think 
by this you will be able to get the idea how 
to make it. (See drawing No. 9, page 15.) 
I made one of these and had good success 
with it for a time, but it also had the dis- 
advantage of being frail and easily going to 
pieces. 


The next way that I will describe is as 
follows: Take a blank to fit the cylinder that 
you desire to open and shape it as per dia- 
gram No. 12, page 27. Now, just at the 
point on the front of the plug opposite the 
joint (see No. 13) drill a small hole and 
proceed as follows: Insert your key (No. 
12) and in the hole that you have drilled in- 
sert a piece of very thin, narrow steel, cut 
just wide enough to enter the hole drilled 
—this may be very small, as small as a 
number 60 drill can be used; now, as the 
key is inserted and comes in contact with 


24 


the first pin, it will raise it to the limit of 
height and immediately begin to let it down 
again; as it goes down, carefully feel for 
the joint, and when you come to it slip the 
steel between the pins and on to the next 
pin; push your key ahead and work exactly 
as the first, and proceed with all of them in 
exactly the same way; when you _ have 
slipped the steel between all the pins, and 
the key is in far enough, the pins will all 
be low enough that they will allow the plug 
to turn and, of course, the lock is unlocked. 
Drawings No. 12 and No. 13 will show you 
just how it is done, more plainly, perhaps, 
than | can explain it. : 


Still another way, and which I believe is 
the best though probably the hardest to 
learn, especially for doors that are locked, 
is by a set of thin flat picks. It takes con- 
siderable patience and experience to become 
expert with these, but in the long run you 
will find it the best way and well worth the 
time spent in learning to do it quickly. The 
picks are made of thin, flat steel, about the 
thickness of the larger sized steel tapes or 
the main-spring of a watch. Drawing No. 
14, page 27, will give you an idea of how | 
shaped the set | have, and to use them pro- 
ceed as follows: (I will assume that the 
door is locked.) Take a screw-driver, or 
any tool as far as that is concerned, and 
make a dent at one side of the plug (see 
No. 15); this is for the purpose of having a 
place by which you can hold something 
against the plug in order to give it a twist- 


ing strain which will have a holding effect * 


on the pins; now insert a pick, and starting 
at the pin farthest back very carefully raise 
it until you feel it come to the joint and con- 


oe) 


tinue in this way until you have raised all of 
them; the instant the last one is raised the 
plug will turn and is, of course, unlocked. 
To hold the cylinder I often use the tool 
(No. 16), which works well and does not 
mar the front of the cylinder. One of the 
first things I do in opening a cylinder with 
this system is to insert a .pick, and while 
holding the plug as described, wiggle it up 
and down, trying to get as many different 
positions as you can, and you will often 
catch the combination this way in a fraction 
of a minute. [| remember just the other day 
I was called on to open three office doors by 
a party who had lost their keys, and [| suc- 
ceeded in opening all three doors in less 
than ten minutes with picks similar to those 
I have illustrated in No. 14. 


I will describe another system which was 
sent in, and though it does not appeal to 
me as being very practical, yet it might come 
in to good advantage on some occasions. It 
is as follows: Have an-oil can, with a very 
slender spout, filled with melted paraffine; 
squirt some of the hot paraffine into the key 
opening and around’the pins, enough to have 
all the pins well covered; now insert a blank, 
which will raise all the pins up, and leave it 
there until the wax has cooled sufficiently to 
hold at least all the upper half of the pins; 
now warm up the blank until it is quite hot 
and insert it into the lock; watch very closely 
and when the hot key has warmed up the 
pins enough, quickly take the blank out and 
the lower half of the pins will slide down, 
leaving the upper half up. This seems like 
a rather crude system, but, nevertheless, | 
intend to give you as many systems as | have 
ever seen or heard advanced and you can 


26 


AS THE ney PASSES 
FIRST PIN, SAIPSTEEL 
BETWEEM SIT DROPS 
AND CONTI NUG 
WITH EACH PIN 
WHEN ALL ARE DOWN 
PLOG WILK TUAN 
WHEN FAR PNovGH 
STCE. CHW BE 
fenmovceo 


PARDE FROM RECU ANA BEAK 
FOR CYLINDER YOU WISH TY OPEN 


No 14, 


THIS SHOWS HOW PICKS SHOULD RE WROE 


| Yo 2 !'5 
| Site u tow, Botte 


——— J 


ToP wa 


Mad ee TOOLS FOR TWISTING CYLINDER PLUG of 


WHILE WORKING PICKS TENSION TOOKS? 


No (7 


COUNT 
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oan] ea RM CENTER PUNCH ERO 
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No 18 — 


FE NARROW ERE 


a a, ee 


ry 


use your own judgment as to the ones you 
care to use. 


I will now describe a system which is said 


to be very good and for which I paid $8.00 
for the set to do it with. 


The operation is very simple, yet for its 
success depends entirely on how good a set 
of tools you have to work with.” Make a 
couple of tension tools similar to No. 16 
and also some picks, such as No. 17; these 
should be made out of steel carefully tem- 
pered. 


To operate, take No. 17 and insert past 
the last pin, then insert No. 16 and put a 
twisting tension on the plug; now give No. 
17 a rather quick outward pull, carefully 
feeling your way, and the cylinder should 
open. The theory is that the tension put 
on the plug as the tool (No. 17) is being 
quickly drawn out tends to give at each 
pin joint and consequently holds it from 
one to the other until all are the proper 
height, and it will open. The same condi- ° 
tions hold good in the tapping process al- 
ready described with the exception that 
with this system they are held by a side 
strain and by the tapping system the strain 
is from end to end. You will find this sys- 
tem a very hard one to master, but when 
it is learned it is very good, perhaps the 
best and fastest of them all. 


i will now give you a cylinder unlock- 
ing “‘stunt’’ practically word for word as 
it was sent to me: 

Take a pair of dividers and measure on 
any cylinder which you wish to open, from 
where the key pins rest on the broach cut to 
the top of the plug (there is a shoulder on 


28 


the plug for which you must make allow- 
ance), this gives you the longest key pin that 
could be used in the particular plug that you 
are measuring. After you have set the 
dividers to this measurement, put one point 
of the dividers on the top of the broach 
cut in the plug, and with the other point 
scratch the face of the cylinder thus: See 
M. No. 4, page 48. Now take a blank that 
fits the cylinder and adjust the jig so that 
the small hole as indicated is directly in line 
with the mark (M). Tighten the set screw 
on the jig, and with a drill of the proper 
size carefully drill through all the pins. 
Keep drawing out the drill to remove the 
chips to avoid sticking, and when you are 
sure you have gone through all the pins, 
leave the drill in place and withdraw the 
blank key. Tap the cylinder gently, and 
the lower key pins should all drop, allow- 
ing the plug to turn and the lock to open. 
Now remove the cylinder and take out the 
drill. Should the pins fail to work freely, 
tap them as described on page 21. You 
will find a system similar to this worked 
out on page 23, though perhaps not quite so» 
elaborate. 


In opening doors that are locked, success 
is largely dependent on surrounding condi- 
tions, all of which should be quickly taken 
into consideration. Size up the job from all 
angles and conditions, for it it happens to 
be a cylinder lock there may be a much 
easier way of getting by than picking, for 
instance, there may be other doors with 
much easier locks to open, a window or 
transome may offer but little resistance in 
getting past the “‘paracentric’’. 


If it is a common night latch it is often 


29 


very easy to simply slip a thin piece of steel 
between the casing and the stop and the 
crack of the door and push back the latch. 
You can do this with nine-tenths of the 
latches and it is the quickest way out of it. 
(See cuts No. 7-A-B-C-D, page 59.) Mor- 
tise locks where the bolt is not thrown, can 
usually be opened this way also. 


Another way, if it is a night latch or a 
mortise lock with just the latch on and 
not the bolt thrown, is to have a thin piece 
of brass or tin about 26 to 32 gauge and 
beginning way up at the top of the door 
carefully slip it through the crack and then 
gradually work it down to the lock and as 
you come in contact with the latch it will 
easily push it back if you have the piece 
inserted held at the proper angle. [| have 
often worked this successfully with a piece 
of stiff paper, a thin piece of celluloid is also 
very good, even better than thin metal. 


Another way is to have a pair of special 
screw-drivers, which | will illustrate, and 
if there is much of a crack in the door 
simply unscrew the set screw that holds 
“the cylinder enough to allow it to unscrew. 
You can often help matters in this by simply 
putting some kind of a wedge between the 
door and casing, a piece of wood for in- 
stance, and forcing a little larger crack to 
work in. (See illustration Nos. 10 and 11, 
page 15). 

To open a cylinder lock on a door when 
locked, drill a hole through the cylinder 
ring along side of the cylinder through the 
wood of the door to the set screw (see 
No. 1-A page 56); drill through this screw, 
and with a pair of pincers or wrench care- 
fully turn the cylinder so the set screw will 


30 


SPRING. 
SHOWS METHOD oF I 


REMOVING 
DRAWING OUT THE SHOULDER. goer 


: Nos 2. 4n0 3 's ft JIG 
FOR HOLDING KE 
Nos. 2 ano 3. : 


= AND CYLINDER 
Ewn “IND SIDE views : PLoG, 


WA 
Woon BhLocwkS I! | FoR OPENING 
FOR OPENING ‘ S 
CYLINDERS re a ae 
TWo KINDS 


FOR Rano B 
PLUGS, 


No7 
A. 


pe =a. END VIEWS OF 
SHEET METAL FOKLOWER, Twe KINDS, 


Noid SPECIAL SAWS 
FoA KEYS, 


J KINDS 
TOMABLERS, 


\ Sd | 


No 9 DIFFERENT 
OF LEVER 


No 14. SAMPLE 
ae ” 
ToOPEN Lock as ae 
REMove Ringe A. ESCRIBE 
dfasctsediexiin nee DESCRIBED JIN Boor, 


31 


break off; it will then be very easy to un- 
screw it and take it out in good shape. , 


The above directions do not mention the 
locks that use but one screw, together with 
a double locking “‘dog,’’ but we suppose 
that where these are used it is intended 
to drill the same as though it was a screw, 
which, of course, amounts to the same thing. 
(See illustration for complete details, Nos. 


l and 2, page 56). 


No. 5, page 59, shows a piece of solid 
rubber, cut to fit as illustrated, and to use 
hold in the hand and operate as described 
in the book, page 20, and illustrated on 
pages 15, 4 and 5. This stunt makes it 
much easier on the hand, and improves the 
operation considerably. 


Before going any further I will give you 
an idea of the experimenting | have been 
joing with a little lock opening tool of my 
own. I had not intended to give out any- 
thing in this line until | had done a little 
more in the way of development but the 
results have been so encouraging and so far 
beyond my wildest expectations that I have 
decided to give the readers an idea of the 
details and an idea of its working principals 
and you are at liberty to continue in the 
development yourself, and here is hoping 
you will be able to perfect the thing so that 
you will have a tool that you will not be 
afraid to tackle the opening of any lock. 


As far as I am personally concerned | am 
confident it can be done, for the success | 
have had already is sufficient to prove that, 
as an example | have opened a number of 
different cylinders many times in but a very 


32 


few minutes, in fact some of them open 
almost as readily as if it was done with a key. 


More in detail and explanation will be 
found later should you be _ sufficiently 
interested to take it up and continue the 
development from this point on. 


No. 7 A-B-C-D, page 59, suggests the 
several different ways a night latch may 
be found mounted on doors, and suggest- 
ions on the ways of slipping the _ bolts. 
They are so plainly shown that further de- 
tail seems unnecessary. 


Here is a_ new cylinder opening stunt 
given me by a man who claims he is work- 
ing it successfully and is novel in the ex- 
treme. 


To open a locked cylinder on a door 
take an electric massage machine, apply 
the applicator to the upper edge of the 
cylinder and with some other tool put a 
little pressure on the plug the same as you 
would in using a key, this vibratory action 
is said to jar the pins sufficiently so that 
the pins will line up and the lock conse- 
quently open. 


Another way of working the same idea 
is as follows; put a piece of spring steel in 


the plug just under the springs and scarcely 
touch them, now hold the vibrator under 
this spring so that the rubber applicator 
just touches, at the same time put aa little 
turning tension on the plug and start the 
motor, the spring is supposed to vibrate 
sufficiently to jar the pins so they will 
line up and the plug will turn to open. 


33 


The above stunts are said to be worked 
successfully by the party giving them to me 
and | have no reason to doubt him and 
personally it does sound as though there 
might be something to it and it might be 
well to do a little experimenting along this 
line. 


Another system of opening cylinders, 
which might be termed a tapping system, 
one way of which is described on page 
20, and which is good, very good, in fact, 
is as follows: Have a piece of hard wood, 
say 4x4x4 inches, take the cylinder in your 
right hand, hold it so that the thumb is 
pressing “as to open’’ on the back end, at 
the same time hold the front with the first 
and second fingers, so as to allow it to slip 
out not over |-16 of an inch when it opens. 
Page 15, No. 5, gives you an idea of just 
how to hold it, except that you keep in 
mind that it must be worked upside down 
in comparison to the system described on. 
page 20. Now strike it with sharp, quick 
blows on the block, “the end grain,’’ keep- 
ing in mind that the instant it releases it 
must not slip to the front more than 1-16 of 


an inch when you have the plug loose. 
Proceed by turning a trifle and taking out 
the plug with a follower the same as by the 
other system, on page 20. 


This is one of the best cylinder opening 
stunts there is. It is very quick, saves time, 
patience and your temper, and is well worth 
keeping in mind at all times. 


Here is a little stunt well worth remem- 
bering in making keys: On nearly all key 


34 


machines there are some blanks that do 
not hold well in the clamps. To get around 
this, simply take some small one-inch brads, 
nip off the heads, and slip them in the slot 
of the key and you can hold them with no 
trouble. 


Never put oil in a cylinder lock. It will 
collect dirt and will mean that the lock will 
have to be cleaned in a very short time. 
All cylinders are made of brass, so that 
they will not be affected by the elements, 
and consequently should not be oiled. 


An excellent idea is to put a little dry 
graphite in the box along with the pins you 
have on hand and also dust some into the 
key holes when fitting keys it will help 
wonderfully and will not collect dirt and 
grit. Dixons No. 2 is the best | know 
of. A quarter pound can will last you for 
years. 


It seems out of place to call your attention 
to a little point in installing cylinder locks, 
but we see so many cases where “it would 
have come into play, that | will do it, and that 
is, be very careful and get them right side 
up, or so that the pins work on top of the 
key. You are bound to have trouble in 
a short while if you don’t. 


On page 27, No. 19, I will illustrate a way 
to raise the cuts on the bit of a key in case 
they should happen to be cut too low and on 
page 31, No. 1, I show another way by 
drawing out the shoulder. 


Many times when a key is inserted into 
a lock it fails to work, but when withdrawn 


35 


a little, works nicely, this indicates that the 
bit has been cut too low and by drawing 
the shoulder out and to the front slightly 
the key will work satisfactorily and save 
making a new one. 


On page 31, Nos. 2 and 3, is illustrated a 
plug holding jig used in setting cylinders, | 
am showing it just as it was given to me and 
all of the details can, I think be easily under- 
stood by a little careful observation. I can 
see at a glance it would no doubt be good, 
but the average locksmith would not be 
equipped to get up any such elaborate tool. 


Another suggestion to be used in the place 
of the tape in the tapping system of opening 
cylinders, illustrated on page 15, is shown 
on page 31. It consists of a block of wood 
shaped as illustrated and was claimed by its 
originator to work to good advantage. | 
never used one and personally cannot say. 


I have often been asked the best system 
of taking impressions of keys, especially 
cylinder keys and will say that to my knowl- 
edge there is no first-class or very reliable 
system, | have however had fairly good suc- 
cess by using dental wax, it solidifies when 
cold and becomes sufficiently hard to keep 
the impression for fitting a key so that one 
will have a fairly good chance of producing 
a key that will fit. This impression system 
however I| am not inclined to recommend for 
one can hardly afford to take the time 
together with the chances of failure by work- 
ing under such a handicap. 


In making an original key for a cylinder, 
a good way of locating the exact position of 


36 


ee) 
2S OF 


JNane several Sizes 
dnd ditterent 
depth cuts. 


O 
O 


No 27. g 


Some are also corrugalear® 


af i f suggestion | 

No 9:9. // x Yor AN Wasee | 

nae e\larepar | 

fe) ° 


B. crise in positiento tap yor alooth 
H position of chisel read to dvae back yer next Tooth 


37 


the cuts is to insert a blank key into the plug 
and put in a set of pins long enough to 
extend out of their respective holes suffi- 
ciently so that with a pair of pliers one can 
press the pins against the bit of the blank 
and make a mark which of course will be the 
exact position of each pin and showing just 
where the cuts should be made, the extend- 
ing pins will also act as gauges as to the 
depth each notch is to be cut and with a 
little practice you can run out a key in this 
way in a very few minutes. 


Another suggestion to take the place of 
the follower No. 6, page 15, is as follows, 
take preferably sheet spring brass, ‘or even 
tin will do’ and roll a cylinder over some 
form of the proper size which will produce 
a flexible and handy tool as illustrated on 


page 31, No. 7. 


A stunt for using up the old cut keys is as 
follows: For instance take three Yale keys 
already cut, take one of these for the pattern 
and run the other two through the key 
machine, now take one of the two you just 
cut and use if for the pattern key and run 
the other two through the machine, now 
take the remaining key for a pattern and 
run the two through as before, you will then 
have all three keys alike all cut to the lowest 
cuts in each of the three keys there will be 
no objection to this, consequently all you 
have to do now is to fit them to a cylinder. 


Something to remember is that a series 
of locks may be arta DEES as to their keys, in 
three different ways, viz. 


1. All different, each key opening only one 
lock. 


38 


2. All alike, any key opening all of the 
locks. 


3. Master-keyed, with keys all different (as 
in |) but with a master-key also, which 
works on all of the locks, (as in 2). 


This master-keying system is a great con- 
venience in factories, hotels and large build- 
ings and even in the homes. All such sys- 
tems should be planned however before the 
installation of the locks, so remember good 
locksmiths are often called on for technical 
advice of this kind and the better you are 
versed on the subject the more intelligently 
you will be able to handle it. 


A locksmith tells me he has had good 
success in a number of instances by simply 
slipping a wire in behind the latch and pull- 
ing it out as illustrated at No. 2, page 48. 


No. 8, page 59, is a tension spring used in 
connection with picks in opening cylinder 
locks. It will be found a very handy instru- 
ment, and is very easy to make. The illus- 
tration is so plain that details are unneces- 
sary, and use your own judgment as to size. 


To change a combination, remove the 
plug of the cylinder as already described and 
rearrange the pins or substitute others of 
different lengths in place of those that are 
already in. Then make an original key to fit 
the new set of pins. 


Cylinders that have a large number of keys 
and have some that do not work well, coun- 
tersink the holes with a tool made for the 
purpose, or a knife will do. This will help 
the pins to slip in line and the key will work 
much better. (See No. 18, page 27). 


39 


If a key is cut too low it can often be 
drawn out to fit as well as a new one by 
simply using a small center punch, as per 
drawing No. 19, page 27. | 


Save all of your cut keys and old keys and 
get in the habit of setting up cylinders to 
them. In this way you have no waste stock 
and it will soon come as easy as though you 
made them from new blanks every time. 
You will find that you have saved a good 
many dollars in this way, especially when 
blanks are so expensive and run into money 
so rapidly. 


Never think of filing cylinder keys by 
hand; you will find it a tedious, uncertain 
slow job, with lots of waste. By all means 
get some kind of a key-cutting machine 
which will save its cost in time and material 
and will be so much more satisfactory. 
There are a number of machines on the 
market and one should not have any trouble 
in getting one. 


A locksmith writes me that it was said of 
a reformed burglar that if you find a $15.00 
lock on the front door, look for a 15-cent 
one on the back door. There is a lot of 
truth in this, and | have done this very thing 
myself a number of times. 


Before going further it might be well to 
call your attention, in the way of a reminder, 
to a few points that come into play from 
time to time, though perhaps familiar to 
most experienced locksmiths. 


As regards to your work, let me say as a 
suggestion: Do not go out on a job only 


40 


ShoT FOR PIN; 
RAiviteo iv Kock. 


ALL TRUNK 
LOCKS USING 


DESK PASS KEY « | i) KEYS LIKE 
CUT AWRY THIS PRAT } f 


FOR DETRILS, ae 

idee EF Pics LIKE THIS 

per lake oF BESSEMER foo 
CAN BE SHAPED @O4O 


A son non PABHMOERE SHOWIMG CYLINDER 
ConsTRucTiow JN DETAIL. 


> ' : 

Fit CYLINDERS ARE MADE 
BBour BIKE THIS ly 

Up, < A NAMAAS AN 

fe F \ 

a <x IN 


: B- SAFE DOOR 
: 5 C-OIKL SPINOLE 
PICKS MADE FROM Y%, OCTA Gon "D -SPINDLE WHEEL. 


DENTHAK ROD: ALK weERE TEMPERED Ag Lock CASE. FEINNER WHEELS. 
CONTACT KOGS, HiFASTENING PLATE, 


ie) ae) eS TAU OF mene SAOLE. & Soper 


K=SEPERA TING WASHERS, 
Gels Shr me is aon 
COMBINATION ACTION ONLY IS ‘AMouIN. 


OTHER PICK COMBINATIONS. VERY MUCH SIMPLIFIEO. 


4] 


half equipped; take everything that you 
think you will possibly need; if you don’t, 
you are sure to need something you left at 
the shop. The best way is to have a grip 
for your outside work and keep it complete 
with everything and use it for outsidework 
exclusively. You will find this much more 
satisfactory than running back and forth te 
the shop for some little thing you hav 
neglected or forgotten to take along. 


Have a little box for your pins, springs, 
screws and etc., in fact, keep everything in 
the grip you use for outside work and it will 
save you lots of time when you are out on 
a job. 


I will give a list of firms in the supply busi- 
ness elsewhere in the book and from them 
you will be able to get anything you will 
need in the way of supplies. A little key 
filing jig similar to the one illustrated on 
page 62, No. 25, is a good idea for some- 
thing similar to this is about the only way 
you can duplicate cylinder keys while out 
on a call. 


To give you an idea of the tools used for 
making paracentric keys, and how few are | 
necessary, will say that the Yale people have 
a special outfit they make, and but half of 
them seem to be but partial necessities, a 


list of which | will enumerate: | shove 
knife, | tweezers, | scraper (for corrugated 
keys), 1 pin hole reamer, 2 _ tension 


wrenches, 2 taking-down tools, 2 setting 
plugs, 2 setting-up thimbles and | file. 
Where there are two of each, they a are for 
the different sized cylinders. 


I have now given you a description of the 
best ways to open and unlock cylinder locks, 


42 


and with practice and a little common sense 
you ought to be able to handle any cylinder 
lock job that you might be called on to 
make a key for or to open. 

One thing | wish to again call your at-. 
tention to is to be sure when installing a lock, 
especially a front door lock, to be sure and 
get it fitted right side up. If you will but 
notice in your rounds from day to day you 
will see dozens of places where the locks 
have been put on upside down by some one 
(perhaps carpenters): who do not under- 
stand their business. There are no door locks 
of any kind that I know of that are not 
reversible, and there is no excuse for any 
such shiftless work, not to mention the 
damage or injustice it does to the person for 
whom it is done. 


_ | will now take up the subject of common 
mortise locks. The average run of them are 
so simple that it will not be necessary to go 
into it in great detail, but I will give a gen- 
eral idea of their construction and illustrate 
a few picks and the average locksmith will 
have no trouble in opening any of them. 


The first thing to consider in making keys 
for mortise locks is that they are practically 
always the same on both sides of the bit, 
figured from the middle and regardless of 
the number of tumblers, this will hold good 
if the lock is arranged to work from both 
sides. This is quite a valuable thing to 
know, for quite frequently | have opened 
locks of three tumblers with two picks, one 
working on the bolt and the other on the 
tumblers. Occasions of this kind will not 
often happen and with the picks [| will illus- 
trate you can open practically any mortise 


ipcmretcrivs 21,.page 37). - 
43 


{Tain STEEL. PICK, 
SLIP ALONG $108k 

oF HASP ANO Moores 
BHCK_HNO FORTH 9S 


: 
i 
: 
: 
& 


PROPER SHAPE KEY For 


No 4. 
Hooks For vgs ow No 7. Lock. 


4 Locking Hoons.) 
INio..10; 


es — -—_______- 


44 


A good thing to keep in mind is this, 
especially if you are in a small town, is to 
study the lines of locks the dealers handle 
-and it will be easy to get by if you know the 
makes that are generally used in your local- 
ity. This will also be a great benefit in buy- 
ing blanks, for if you know the general run 
of locks in your town it will be easy to get 
just the blanks you need, which will amount 
to considerable of a saving in your stock. 


You can easily tie up quite a sum of 
money in key blanks that are of no use sim- 
ply because there are no locks of the par- 
ticular make they fit in use. And this holds 
good more particularly in cylinder blanks, 
which run into money very fast. 


Locks operated by keys are of three prin- 
cipal types, depending on the kind of 
“guard’’ which a key must overcome, as 
follows: 


On warded locks, see cut No. 8, page 31, 
the guards consist of permanent “‘wards” 
cast in the casing of the lock and the bit of 
the key must be cut to pass as in the illus- 
tration referred to above. This system is 
used in the cheapest variety» of locks and 
offer very little in the way of secuiity. 


The next variety the lever-tumbler locks 
consist of one or more lever-tumblers which 
must be lifted by the key to the right posi- 
tion, see figure 9, page 31, so that the pin, 
(some term it a fence) on the bolt must 
pass through the ‘gatings’ of the tumblers, 
with this arrangement the bolt is securely 
held in both the locked and unlocked posi- 
tion. This type of lock is far superior to 
wards and may be arranged with quite a 
large number of changes. 


45 


The better class of locks however of this 
variety are made, nowadays with a combina- 
tion of both lever-tumbler and wards, this 
adds greatly to the security of the lock and. 
from a manufacturing standpoint costs but 
very little more to produce. 


Locks of this nature are generally used in 
homes and such places where there is no 
urgent need of high grade locks. 


In making pass keys for lever locks con- 
structed on the plan of No. 9, it is generally 
accomplished in this way, the inside lever 
of say, a three-lever lock is in the center 
and the key will operate this lever in the 
center of the bit when inserted in either side 
of the lock. It is so shaped that a pin is 
extended out under the other levers so that 
when it is raised with the pass key it raises 
all the others with it, and the individual key 
works on each tumbler separately, in this 
way this variety of locks can be pass-keyed 
with quite a wide range of changes. 


With the construction of this variety of 
locks thoroughly understood and a set of 
picks on the plan of No. 21, page 37, you 
ought to be able to unlock practically any 
lock in this class. 


I will describe and illustrate several dif- 
ferent stunts that | have run across and you 
perhaps will find some that will interest you. 


No. 10, page 31, is a turn key or pick for 
throwing the bolt or removing the key when 
the key has been left in the lock. Make it 
of about 1/16” steel wire as illustrated so 
it will work both right or left. 


46 


Cut No. |, page 41, shows one locksmith’s 
idea of burring the edges of the key blank in 
order to mark the location of the tumblers. 
I cannot see where it is any wonderful stunt 
myself. 


Cut No. 2, page 41, is another idea of 
what was called an adjustable skeleton pass- 
key, it may be all right but it would be some 
job to make one though the party who had 
made it claimed to get good results, one 
should have several different sizes. 


I] have often fixed up the cheap simple 
locks like those used on closet doors so it 
would be hard to find a key to fit by simply 
putting in a pin as illustrated in No. 3, 
page 41. 

The adjustable pick, No. 1, page 48, is 
quite novel and seems to possess consid- 
erable merit. The illustrations are so plain 
and show its construction and positions so 
well it is unnecessary to go into further 
detail. 


There is a very cheap class of rim locks 
used quite extensively in small country towns 
that are very simple in construction and the 
ordinary pass key will open nearly all of 


them. If not, the picks (No. 21, page 37) 


will. 


There are also some mortise locks that are 
built on the same order, both of which any 
locksmith will have no difficulty in Lilie shi 
in a moment's time. 


Locks of this kind depend almost entirely 
on the side cuts of the bit for the different 
key combinations, if you can call them such, 
and are so simple that the average lock- 
smith will not be interested in them. There 


47 


rositiow T, No. I. POSITION 2. 
-FILE ENO FLAT OW BRASS BAIVD } ‘ 
BOTH SIOES Georoeneo HERE ( MAKE OUT MA STEEL WIRE. 


Position ¥ 


Position 3. 


MAKE BIT SAME SIZE AT 
COMMON PASS Key. 


HAVE BAND RIT Swucnyy 


Turw key Wo 3. 


SLIP WIRE 
. SIOe VIEW. che 
= ah Bag sere VIEW, 


ond” 


SHOWING, HOW KEY 
I$ OPRRATEO. 


a JIG FoR 
HOnOINa RYT 
INO Of tem 


JIG, ws Pune. 


PIN REST. 


Some PICKS 
TH SE USED FOR 
& ORILL HERE AS wPENING PROLOCKS frp Etc. 
CKOSE To gHatKe 
AS Portion’ AND 
INSERT WIRE 
No A-6, 


POSE WIRE 


SIZE oF 


NO &e 
Orie, 
( CB a 
No. 6. 
In Of FE Ret 
e~F 


SIZES FOR THE 
pirevaenT BiZe 
a 


MAKE PICKS OF SPRING STEEL, 


48 


are some really good three-tumbler mortise 
locks that have quite a range of combina- 
tions and are used extensively in rooming 
houses and hotels where they do not go to 
the expense of cylinder locks. They almost 
always have a pass key which is made on 
the plan drawn, and if you take the trouble 
to make two or three with different depth 
cuts you will be able to open almost any of 


them. (See No. 22, page 37.) 


A good way for marking keys for those 
not expert in the business is by smoking 
them. For this you simply use a match or 
candle and when well blackened can easily 
be marked by inserting into the lock and 
turning and anything that it comes in con- 
tact with you can easily see. This is an old, 
old stunt, but is good just the same. 


In making a key on which you wish to 
mark the location of tumblers, wards, or 
bosses, file the edges of the key as per 
diagram No. 1-44. This system is applicable 
to practically any kind of key, and while 
it possesses merit and advantages, there are 
a number who think it not wise and prac- 
tical to use such a system, on account of de- 
facing the edges of the blank, thereby giving 
it the appearance of a second-hand key. 


To open mortise lock when door is 
locked: In a large percentage of mortise 
locks there is an opening opposite the tum- 
blers, in order to see the position and work- 
ing of same; this invariably is on the side 
next to you when looking at it from the 
position as illustrated. (See No. 2, page 
52.) The idea is to remove the knob and 
plate and cut away the wood, exposing the 
hole, and the lock can then easily be picked. 


49 


The turnkey, No. 3, page 48, for taking 
keys out of a lock where the door has been 
locked and the key left in, as is so often 
done, especially on back doors, is a handy 
and useful tool, and is so plainly shown it 
will need no further comment, except to 
state that it should be made of a good piece 
of steel. File the end down thin and cut 
away as shown, and temper. The object in 
cutting away the end and leaving just the 
two prongs is to allow all the clearance 
possible. 


To make Y-T mortise door lock keys by 
number, the three-tumbler locks are num- 
bered thus, 221-324-423, to a possible 866, 
though this would make a very weak key. 

The first number represents the wards as 
in 423. 4 is the ward cut in thirty-seconds 
of an inch from the pin; the third number 
represents the center or middle cut, also in 
thirtyseconds, which in the above number 
would be 3, and the second figure of the 
number, or 2, is the cut on either side of the 
cut 3. By this you will see that by having 
the number of the lock it will be easy to 

make the proper key. Care must be taken 
to file accurately the proper depth and loca- 
tions, taking into consideration that O means 
no cut at all. It will thus be seen that a key 
cut as per No. 6 will fit all locks whose num- 
bers end in 36, for the reason that the com- 
bination of all the tumblers are the same, 
the difference being in the ward cuts, and 
in this case all of them have been filed out. 

The cuts show clearly the idea (Nos. 3, 4, 
5 and 6, page 56). 

For fitting mortise keys, take two steel 
plates about one-sixteenth inch thick, clamp 
together and drill holes of the common sizes 


50 


of key stems and file out like a key hole. 
Drill each end for a screw, and tap one side; 
take two thumb screws with good shoulders, 
and fasten the plates together, using springs 
over each screw to keep the plates apart. 
The idea is this: Take the key you are going 
to duplicate and insert it in the proper slot, 
and screw the plates together to just let the 
bit pass the further plate; now file the blank 
accordingly. This gives you the exact dis- 
tance from the shoulder to the outside edge 
of the bit. Now to get the width of the bit, 
simply take the pattern key, slip in as be- 
fore ,turn a little and screw the plates to- 
gether until the bit just turns between them 
nicely. File the key to fit and you have the 
bit the same width as the pattern and the 
proper distance from the shoulder. 


‘The cut No. 11, page 56 shows the parts 
and the idea plainly, and the dimensions can 
be worked out to suit one’s fancy. 


I could go ahead and probably write 
several more pages concerning this variety 
of locks but the cheap simple ones are so 
easily unlocked and understood and the 
more elaborate ones are so rapidly being 
substituted by the cylinder variety that I feel 
it is unwise to take up more space to this 
line and we will next take up trunk locks. 


In checking up closely on the different 
subjects that were handled in the earlier edi- 
tions, | discovered that the trunk lock had 
been sadly neglected, and as this is one of 
the varieties that a locksmith, especially in 
the larger cities is very often called upon to 
open (for the traveling public are con- 
tinually in trouble of this kind) it is im- 
portant that you are able to turn out a job 
of this kind quickly. 


51] 


THKE OUT SCREWS 
(rqe-c-ewer, Z 


MZ 


a, 


|) 
Cut ovr wood To exPOSE— 


No.3. 
Mp 
(O(a 7 


SLIP-A-B-C-0-E -F-INTO LOCK FINO CLAMP WITH & 
' 


DARIGK THIS HOLk IN THER ENTER ‘ 


No T-FA. ; 
M, 
’ work. No 
THIS Pp at ce 


52 


The popular trunk locks that are put out 
today are so well standardized and estab- 
lished as far as design is concerned, that the 
firm name on the face of the lock is about 
the only difference in them. Each make and 
design has its established number of key 
‘changes a full set of which can be purchased 
from firms making a specialty in this line. 


On page 41 is illustrated a trunk lock using 
the common barrel key. Most of them are 
designed with two levers though locks of 
three and four levers are used on the better 
grades of trunks especially traveling men’s 
sample trunks, they all however look prac- 
tically the same from the front and when the 
trunk is locked. 


It is a simple matter to pick trunk locks 
and the two, three and four tumbler are all 
opened in practically the same way, and if 
your call happens to be to simply open the 
lock you can generally do it quicker by pick- 
ing than finding the right key if you are lucky 
enough to own the different sets. 


I will give you a description of just how 
to make and operate the trunk picks and 
you will be able to easily open any barrel 
key trunk lock made. 


_ Take a common barrel trunk key blank 
and cut the bit as illustrated in No. 7, page 
56, this will do but No. 9, you will find much 
better to work with. Now make picks No. 
8, page 56, or No. 14, page 41. 


Your success will depend entirely on your 
skill so proceed as follows, take No. 7, and 
insert into the lock and turn as to unlock 
while holding this key quite rigidly, take No. 


53 


14, or 8, slip in under the key you are hold- 
ing and carefully push back the tumblers 
individually, being careful to have pick 5 
narrow enough to easily slip in between the 
guards that separate the tumblers, you can 
judge this by the width of the different cuts 
on that make and class of keys, | would say 
just a little less than a sixteenth of an inch. 


With a very little practice you will be 
able to easily feel the different tumblers slip 
into place and you ought easily to be able 
to open 95 per cent of the trunk locks in 
not over 5 minutes. 


To make a key, if you have no sets is no 
easy job in fact this is what the different 
sets are most useful for so without a pattern 
to go by the best way that I have found is to 
do it as follows: 


With the above mentioned picks throw 
the bolt enough so that it just begins to 
turn, this will hold the tumblers in exactly 
the position a properly cut key will raise them 
when turned, now take out the picks and 
carefullly fit a key so it will turn being par- 
ticular to hold the bolt each time you try 
the key otherwise it will fly back to the 
locked position again. With a little prac- 
tice you will be able to work this idea out 
and understand it better than if | devoted 
another half dozen pages to it. 


By all means | advise getting a set of 
trunk keys just as soon as your business 
will justify it for they save so much time 
especially in making duplicates. 


To help those out who are not in a posi- 
tion to get the sets you will find in another 


54 


part of the book several pages of trunk keys 
illustrated in exact sizes and cuts and num- 
bers so that all you have to do is to make 
a key from the illustration, and you will 
get pretty good results at that. 


The cylinder trunk lock, while it is a good 
looking lock, seems to be very easy to get 
into. One of the easiest ways is to simply 
cut the three small rivets that hold on the 
round front plate and with a couple of nails 
or knife blades push back the locking bolts. 
Il always carry a few escutcheon pins for 
riveting back the plates. It takes but a few 
minutes and does not hurt the lock in the 
least. These could easily be picked if it 
was not for the spring tension on the bolts; 
this makes it very difficult and the above 
system seems the quickest and best. 


The old style locks, using the flat keys, 
are so seldom used these days that it is 
hardly necessary to mention them, and al- 
most anything in the nature of a wire nail 
or a button hook will open them. At one 
time there were quite a number of trunk 
locks using a double-bitted key. These 
were more looks than locks and opened 
about as easy as the old kind, using the 
flat key. If you come in contact with any 
of these, they are very simply constructed, 
nothing to them but the bolt. Make a 
double-bitted pass key with plenty of clear- 
ance and you will open any of them. 


To open a cylinder trunk lock when you 
do not intend to make a key, about the best 
and quickest way is to drive out the rivet 
(see cut No. 3, page 69). It is easy to do 
and does not injure the lock much. (Idea 
submitted by a locksmith). 


55 


KAVE ONE 
SET SCREW 
Joma Two 


FILE BIT LIKE THIS? 


No.8. 


Magee STERL wine Prexs Z 
Like THESE a 


LcuT Like Twit, 

: THIT MEY Wiek FIT 

fie Locns wiTH 
WOS. ENDING in gt F 
FOR ALL Gu#RO 


CUT Kanng EF - nent ano 7 
geno Liwe THIsS=s 


CLAMP TWO PIECES TOQATHER AND 
ANE MAKE LIKE THIS, 


Correction for page 56, Cuts Nos. 


follows: Disregard No. 3, it simply 


“Some Locks 


DAIL 
THRovgH 
RING 
oF 
CYRINDER 


_ MAKE THIS Too. FROM = 
meee — No. 10 THIN STE 


SIZE Frise 


pli I 


END VIEW Showing How 
Wo tf-1s PuT TOCHTHER, 


SOADER iWuT ON 
gAch esate see A. 
VSE THUMAR SCREW 


No.1 
SCREW gRoKeW 
orf in umAAELA I 
HANDLE, | 


3, 4, 4 and 5 are as 
is to show the ward 


cuts. 


should be 842. 


No. 4 should be 002. 


No. 4 should be 050. No. 5 


Further description on page 54. 


56 


Another line of locks that a locksmith 
very often comes in contact with is the 
desk lock and I will give you a few pointers 
on that line. 


To open most all pin tumbler or lever 
desk locks that lock the top with bars ex- 
tending to the outer ends, simply remove 
the screws that hold the top to the main 
part of the desk on one end and generally 
two or three on the back, lift the end clear 
‘of the dowels, pull out sufficiently to release 
the locking lugs, at the same time pull up 
on the roll. When the desk is open it is 
an easy matter to take off the lock and 


fit a key. (See No. |, page 52.) 


Should the lock be a flat-key lock one 
can generally pick them with but very little 
difficulty. Always put a little pressure on 
the bolts or “‘catches’’ with a screw driver 
_or tool of that nature out at the sides of 
the desk where these catches work and as 
soon as they are relieved a little with the 
pick they readily fly open. 


To open a desk lock No. 9 (page 44): 
Take a couple of hacksaw blades or pieces 
of steel about that size and grind to the 
shape indicated at the right of No. 9. To 
use, simply slip the two tools, one on each 
side of the lock, and force back the hooks; 
at the same time have a little pressure on 
the top, and the instant the hooks are all 
back the desk will open. This will not 
do on all locks of this variety, but will work 
on a large percentage of them. 


The ‘above stunt works -all right on 
some locks of this kind but on others they 


57 


are built so that one cannot get pieces of 
steel in the sides to push back the hooks, 
many desks however with this kind of a 
lock installed have an opening underneath 
and all that is necessary is to take a couple 
of small screw drivers, reach up on the 
sides of the lock, push back the hooks and 
the desk will open. 


I would advise making a pass key or two 
similar to No. 6, page 41, and while ma- 
nipulating this key use a little pressure on 
the top right at the lock with a screwdriver 
and as the pick comes in contact with each 
set of hooks you will readily feel it and it 
is an easy matter to work them all back 
so that the lock will pop open. 


A lock about the home that the lock- 
smith is often called on to open is the mail 
box, and this often proves to be quite a job. 
While the locks themselves are not difficult 
to pick, the spring bolt (which often binds) 
is so hard generally to throw, being always 
exposed to the weather it gets rusty and 
dirty, and | will confess | have had some 
very discouraging jobs from a financial 
standpoint with this class of locks. Another 
thing, the locks are generally riveted on 
and it is hard to fix them up when you do 
get them open. I -have a couple of sets 
of mail box keys which are well worth the 
price they cost, and with the picks made on 
the plan of Fig. 20, page 27, from mail 
box blanks you will have no trouble in 
opening and fixing up any mail box job. 


I have illustrated elsewhere in the book 
some of the keys most commonly used on 
the popular line of mail boxes and without 


58 


Fia | PICK FOR USK ON 3 MOY TUMBLER, Lock 
USING KEYS LIKE No.% 


METHOD OF ae 
MARKING HANDLE 
ATAKE TWo Be 
PIECES OF Wood 
MOI, AS DESCRIBED 


MEY FILING 
OEP TH GoAGe. 
1M Bawpy-or AN (NO 


——— — 


pl ER EY yo Oa. 
> S 2 USE ROBBER BROCK IN CONWECTION 
Not, 4 : : 


: B WITH METHOO OW PAQK~23~4-d. 
PICKS MADE OF @ AND PAQR Ia~4-3, 
No Zc, 


SLIP FLAT PIECE OF any 
STEEL IN: HERE Jp LoosEN AWD WoRK BORE Gy-HOKE- USE 
AS Now, BovwO PIECE OF STEEL FOR PICK, 


Lit. 


WoRK LIKG No 7-C, 


ss ScD LE) venom 


. 
\ 


BALL Hone NT a No.7. 


ugh weoee AT B. 


a9 


a doubt you will be able to get some good 
out of them for the cuts are exact size and 
exact cuts and properly numbered so you 
ought to be able to easily make a key from 
these illustrations for any lock of this na- 
ture with a corresponding number. 


Now do not get these locks confused with 
Post Office box keys for they are not but 
are simply the locks on the letter boxes you 
see installed in all the flats, apartments, 
homes and places of that nature. It is a- 
gainst the law for anyone to make keys for 
P. O. boxes except by those with the proper 
authority, consequently you will find noth- 
ing in this book on this subject. 


There are a great many kinds of cabinet 
locks, more in number, | imagine, than any 
other kind of locks, house doors perhaps 
excepted, and though this be the case there 
are but a few that are really hard to open, 
and nearly all you will find using the flat 
key you will be able to open with the set 
of picks No. 20, page 27, made from the 
proper blanks. In making keys for this 
line of locks the makers generally arrange 
for a hole in the casing located properly 
so that one can readily see the action of 
the key on the tumblers and by filing and 
trying it is a very easy job to fit a key. 
I personally prefer to fit keys for this kind 
of a lock with the bolt thrown, the action 
-can be seen better | think, although this 
may be just a ‘fogie’’ idea of mine. Locks 
that do not have any opening in the casing 
as mentioned above are generally easier to 
fit a key to with the bolt in the unloocked 
position for this reason, if the tumblers have 
a slot for the bolt bar to pass through similar 


60 


to No. 8, page 41, then fit a key with the 
bolt in the unlocked position, but if the tum- 
blers are like No. 9, page 41, fit the key with 
the bolt in the locked position. 


Just a little experience in this line will 
help you more than a dozen pages of ex- 
planations. 


You must remember however that when 
you get in this class of locks with three or 
more tumblers your difficulties increase in 
direct proportion to the number of tumblers 
but it is simply a case of having a good 
assortment of picks and plenty of patience 
and a little good luck and you will be able 
to unlock practically anything in this line 
you will ever be called upon to handle. 


Some suggestions on a good line of picks 
will be found illustrated on page 27, No. 
20; page 41, Nos. 10 and 11; page 59, No. 
6 and page 69, No. 6. 


There are a couple of different designs 
of night latches made to supply the demand 
for something cheap and for those who do 
not know a‘ good lock from a poor one, 
these use keys similar to No. |-10-6-44 and 
No. 7-41. These can all be opened by mak- 
ing pass keys out of the proper blanks similar 
to No. 11-44 and No. 7-41. You will find 
this variety of locks installed principally 
in places where security is not taken seriously 
into consideration. You will also find them 
in the small towns for invariably the country 
dealers keep them well displayed and the 
consumer as a rule does not know whether 
they are good or bad, it is seldom they are 
judges of the good or bad features of locks. 


61 


AS MANY WIRES = i 
AS KEVERS, iz i ~ OPENING LOCK 


SIZE OF WIRE EQUAL To ge a ct 
THICKNESS OF LEVERS, : es 


PICK USED FOR 4 LEVER 
PADLOCKS, 


Pick USED FOR 3 LEVER 


PickS USED BY HOUDINI 
THE KANO CUFF KING. 


A DOUBLE END 
PICK HANDY 
AND ComPACT, 


4 
2 
~» 
° 
2 
Pp 
3 
= 
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A. PREST-O- TORCH 
OWE OF THE HANDIEST Toms 
A SHOP cA POSSESS, a 
KEY FIRING wIQaN) : 
A VERY Gooo Toon TO I 
CARRY IN THE GRIP, 


SUIH duyus 
4° QYOH Houbo 


SIGN SucceSTION No 26, By, HCFINK. 


62 


a 
NOT TO SIZE. 


SS Ts = PP ie. om FRONT. VIEW 


SIDE VIEW. 
eed) 


MAKE THE BLOCK 
ANY SIZE. 
A 
A f 


a 3574 9243, 


Hs incodsaoy—1241 ©) 


iy KEY CUTS. RRE NOT 
TO SIZE. 


63 


To make a key for this variety of locks 
you simply have to cut the proper blank to 
pass the wards arranged in the barrel which 
can easily be located by smoking your blank. 


The most of them you will find are double 
bitted, that is they work either way the key 
is put into the lock, again you will find a few 
that work only one way and the grooves 
are necessarily cut deeper on one side than 
the other, there are few of these around 
nowadays however and it will be very sel- 
dom that you will need to work on them. 


Padlocks—In taking up this subject, there 
are so many different kinds that quite a 
little space will be necessary in order to 
even give you an idea of how to handle the 
more important designs. 


Like all other varieties of locks the ele- 
ment of security increases as the purchase 
price goes up, consequently one cannoot 
expect much in a cheap padlock. 


In the majority of cases where the inex- 
pensive padlock uses a flat key cut similar 
to No. 27, page 37, a pass key can be made 
that will easily open them similar to 24-37, . 
they simply have cast or permanent wards | 
arranged to engage the key and by simply 
filing for them to pass and locating them 
‘“‘generally by smoking’’ it is an easy matter 
to make a key. c 


Again there is a cheap jJine similar in de- 
sign to 2, page 44, using a key on the plan > 
of 10-41, keys made for them are also 
made by the filing and trying system and 
no serious difficulties are generally encoun- 
tered in fitting keys for all such locks. 


64 


I will now give you a system of opening 
the three and four tumbler locks using 
double-bitted keys similar to diagram No. 
23, page 37. Make a key like No. 24 
thin enough to allow a thin steel pick to 
pass alongside of it. Insert No. 24 and hold 
snugly in the direction to unlock. This 
brings the bolt against the tumblers; now 
insert picks (Nos. 13 and 14, page 62) and 
work them back and forth carefully, feeling 
the tumblers, and you will soon be able to 
get them in the proper location and the lock 
will unlock. To makea key, leave in the un- 
locked position for the reason that the bolt 
has slipped into the tumbler slots and are 
held in exactly the position the key would 
leave them; now simply locate the tumblers 
on a blank (a good way is by smoking it) 
and file until the key just turns around with- 
out binding. When you have tried this a time 
or two you will easily get the idea. 


To open the cylinder padlocks see No. 
26, page 37, having a key on the plan of 
No. 25: Hold the lock in such a way that 
you can keep pulling as to open and with 
picks (No. 14) work the same as to open 
a cylinder; when it opens unscrew No. 27 
and remove the spring which you will see 
after taking out No. 27. It is now ready 
to remove the plug, which you can do by 
using a follower, and proceed to make a 
key as for any cylinder. 


To open a padlock similar to diagram 
No. 2, page 44, také a piece of thin flat 
steel about the width of the hasp of the lock 
you wish to open, and work it into the lock 
along side of the hasp and move it back 


65 


and forth as shown by the dotted lines in 
diagram No. 3. The piece of steel can 
often be improved for use by bending it on 
the end as shown in the drawing No. 3. 
On account of its flexibility it does not in- 
terfere with working it into the lock, and as 
soon as it is past the end of the hasp it slips 
over and engages the locking dog, which 
if it was straight it possibly would miss. 
You will find a great number of the cheap 
class of padlocks that you will be able to 
open in this way. 


How to open a padlock similar to draw- 
ing No. 4: Take a drill in size about No. 
56 to 60 and drill a hole through the outside 
casing just between the letters V and E as 
shown in diagram No. 4. Have a piece of 
wire in size about equal to the thickness of 
one of the lock levers in the lock on which 
you are working; first insert the plain end 
of the drill into the hole you have just drill- 
ed; carefully lift the first lever until the drill 
slips into the slot intended for the dog; now 
lift the second lever in exactly the same way 
until the drill slips into the slot of this lever, 
and proceed in this way until you have rais- 
ed all of them and you are sure the drill is 
holding all of them up. Now proceed to 
make a key as follows: Take the proper 
blank, if you have one, and if not a blank 
that will enter the keyhole; now smoke the 
blank and insert it, and as it comes in con- 
tact with the lowest lever move the key back 
and forth in order to mark the location of 
the lever which comes in contact with the 
blank first, or in other words, the lever 
having the lowest position. File with a thin 
file not thicker than the lever a slot just deep 
enough that you think (by looking into the 


66 


lock) will allow the next lowest tumbler to 
touch the blank. Mark this position as de- 
scribed above and file in the same way, 
taking into consideration the fact that all 
slots that you have already filed will have 
to be made deeper in the same proportion. 
When you have located all the tumblers 
and filed the key so that it comes in contact 
with all the levers at the same time, you can 
remove the drill which has been holding the 
levers in the exact position that the key holds 
them when inserted. Now insert the key 
carefully, and when the lock unlocks mark 
on the key with an awl just the position for 
depth. If you have used the proper blank 
to begin with, this will not be necessary, but 
if not, it is for the purpoose of locating the 
position of the stop. The key should look 
like No. 4. Carefully fill the hole and it 


will never be noticed. 


How to open and make a key for 3 and 
4 lever locks similar to drawing No. 
Make a thin steel pass key, drawing No. 6, 
and a pick, No. 7. Both of these must be 
thin enough to pass into the lock at the same 
time. To unlock, first insert No. 6 and 
turn so as to unlock as far as possible; keep 
holding this key snugly and insert the pick, 
No. 7; when you feel it touch the first tum- 
bler, push it out until you feel the dog slip 
into the slot; work the next tumbler the same 
way; always keep holding on to No. 6. Now 
take out No. 7 and insert in the opposite way 
and work the tumblers on this side the same 
as the others. The instant the last tumbler 
is pressed back, No. 6 should turn farther 
around and open the lock. It will be nec- 
essary to make a set of Nos. 6 and 7 for each 
different size of this class of lock. Now I 


67 


will go one step further in this lock opening 
‘‘stunt’’ and say that when the lock is open 
the tumblers are held in exactly the position 
that the proper key places them, and there- 
fore a key can be made as follows: With 
the lock in the unlocked position, smoke 
and insert the proper blank and mark the 
position of the tumblers; file the key until 
it just passes all the obstructions. Be care- 
ful and particular, and if you do a good job 
you will have a perfect working key. A 
little practice and you will have no trouble 
and will be well repaid for your work. 


It is best to file out the wards first; then 
the first two pairs from handle No. 8; then 
file for tumblers. Will also state that the 
pick is worked first on one side and then 
the other, for the reason that half the tumb- 
lers work on one side of the key and the 
other half on the other. (See page 44). 


To open padlocks and desk locks using 
double-bitted keys, proceed as follows: 


Select the proper blank (this is im- 
portant), insert in the lock and turn as to 
open several times. You will then be able 
to locate the position of the tumblers by the 
marks on the key. Now locate the brightest 
marks on the blank; these will be the deep- 
est cuts, now start and file this mark “the 
same on each side’, about | /32 of an inch; 
insert the key and at each trial file again at 
the same time looking for marks of the next 
tumblers to mark the key, just keep filing 
each slot in the same proportion and when 
the key turns a quarter turn the lock will 
open and you will of course have your key 
made. 


68 


: 
a\\ 

OPEN. posiTiow, a 

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Spring TENSION Toow 


NO k 


acuT our 
AND FiLh WITH LEO 


COMMON BENT WIRE PICK, 


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CYLINDER KEY 
yene VIEW 


Heol DER, 


KEYS AS LISTED IN CHTRELOCOES. 


69 


ira Bam 9 Fea UL Ny 
HEY 19) MATATFTOT UID 1 


CYLINDER TRUNK boen, 


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NIVETS 
HOLOING 
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ON seerace I § 


THE RINET 
HERE 


U6Ls CAAT OTRECED CAR CE TEDBC TALL 
ae —SeSinnini 
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4 €.4T STEEL 


rAEY 


To fit keys to six-lever padlocks, such as 
No. 4, page 44, use thin pieces of steel or 
spring brass, shaped similar to No. 3, a, b, 
c, d, e and f, and hold in position with a 
clamp on the plan of No. 3, page 52. 


For the three and four tumbler padlocks 
of the standard variety, such as No. 5, illus- 
trated on page 52, the following described 
tool or combination pick seems to possess 
exceptional advantages. 


As there are three sizes of this variety of 
locks in general use, it will be necessary to 
make three different sized picks, which will 
be well worth the time it will take to do it. 
The proper dimensions will be regulated en- 
tirely by the size of the lock, and the best. 
way to determine this is to use the dimen- 
sions of a key for the size you wish to make 
the pick for. If you will keep closely to the 
size of the proper blank as te thickness, 
width, length and so forth, there is no rea- 
son why you should not be able to make a 
set of these picks which should give first- 
class service and satisfaction. I would ad- 
vise making them out of first-class material, 
and your troubles will be greatly eliminated 
from the start. 


The main part of the key No. 7-A should 
be made out of steel, preferably tool steel. 
The wire piece can be made from a steel hat- — 
pin, with the little end piece silver soldered 
or brazed on to stand the strain.. (See No. 


1-| space a2): 
In drilling the hole in part No. 7-A, be 


careful to keep to the center, or, better still, 
have plenty of material, and dress down to 


the hole. 
70 


The drawings show the different parts so 
plainly, and just how it is constructed, that 
it is hardly necessary to go into detail as far 
as making it is concerned, and will say that 
if you make a good tool out of good material 
you will be well pleased with the results, for 
this is one of the best lock-picking stunts 
there is, and with a little practice and the 
proper sized pick you will have no difficulty 
in opening any of the locks of this variety. 


If you make the parts of tool steel, oil 
temper them, or they will not hold up, and 
will be no better than if you used common 
material. 


When you have a lever lock with the key 
broken off in it, and are obliged to take it 
apart, a good way is to put the hasp in a vise 
see No. 4, page 52, and with a wedge driven 
through the hasp, force it open. It will come 
apart almost straight, and very seldom 
breaks at the lock point, and all that is 
necessary is to straighten the bent parts when 
you have it apart. 


Pin tumbler padlocks can be opened by 
boring a 60 drill hole into each end of the 
lock (see No.5) and by pushing a pin (made 
from a piece of steel wire) in each end at 
the same time, the shackle will fly out, or 
open. The hole to be drilled just below rim 
No. 5-A, to one side (see position B), so the 
drill will pass by the shackle and not into it. 


To open small locks similar to No. 6, drill 
a hole in the face on one side of the lock 
just below the rim and back of the shackle, 
so the drill will not hit it. Drill only just 
through the case, push in the steel pin, and 
it will open. (See drawing No. 6, page 52). 


71 


There is a combination lock on the market 
similar to No. 5, page 48, and as there seems 
to be no successful way to pick them, about 
the best way to open is to proceed as 
described: Drill a hole with about a 56 drill 
at the point indicated in the drawing; take 
some fine steel wire and flatten to about one 
and one-half thousandths; insert the wire 
and turn dial to the left until the wire slips 
down one notch, then turn to the right, and 
when it slips through the next slot, the lock 
will open. 


A very little practice and you will have 
no trouble at all in doing this, and by putting 
a little plug in the hole it will never be no- | 
ticed. 


In answer to several inquiries as to the 
best way for making key impressions, the 
following suggestions are about as good as 
any that I have heard of: Press the key 
you wish to make the impression of firmly 
into some substance, such as beeswax, soap, 
sealingwax or paraffine. Another very good 
way, especially for flat keys, is to make an 
impression an carbon paper. You get a 
very good pattern, and this can be stuck 
onto a blank, and there is little likelihood of 
one missing a fit. 


Some suggestions for a set of picks for use 
on padlocks, etc., are shown at No.. 6, and 
they will be referred to from time to time, 
in use with the opening of several different 


kinds of locks. 


To open spring handcuffs, take a piece of 
very thin tempered steel, push into the lock, 
and it will slip under the bolt sufficiently to 
release and open. 


72 


To open cylinder padlock No. 11, page 
62, hold the wedge firmly in and wrap on 
the side opposite the cylinder (see A and 
B). This is a good idea, and saves lots of: 
time. One should have several wedges for 
the different-sized locks. 


‘No. 18, page 62, is a handy and compact 
combination pick, and is well worth making; 
in fact, a person should have two or three 
of them made up in different sizes in his kit. 


No. 19, page 62, shows a way of opening 
cylinder padlocks when locked on a door. 
You simply hold the lock by the strap and 
rap on the side, as described at No. |]. 


For making keys to padlocks similar to 
No. 7, page 69, the best way is to remove 
one side as shown in the cut. Be sure and 
take off the right side and the cylinder can 
then be easily removed. 


A way to open lock No. 8, page 69, is as 
follows: Take a No. 30 drill and drill 
through the casing on an angle, and then 
take a piece of steel wire and push back the 
catch, and the shackle will fly open, then 
force out the plate holding in the pins and 
fit a key; have some brass rod that will fit 
the hole, and it can be filled up so that it 
will never be noticed. 


The drawing will give you an idea as to 
just how it is done. 


Padlocks of the cheaper type have from 
6 to 36 changes, a few of the best have up to 
144 changes, and the pin tumbler locks have 
upwards of 25,000, which will give you an 
idea of the comparative value of each as far 
as security is concerned. 


73 


The following idea for opening combina- 
tion padlocks, as illustrated (No. 5, page 
48), or any other combination lock is ex- 
ceptionally good. 

The combination of a two-numbered lock 
reads similar to this: Turn knob two or 
more revolutions to the right, stopping on 
the first number (—), then turn to the left, 
stopping on No. (—), and the lock will 
open. 

Locks with only two numbers are very 
easy to open and are of the cheap sort. We 
will say the numbers on the dial run from | 
to 40, and to open, proceed as follows: 
Turn two or more revolutions to the right, 
stop on No. |, then turn slowly to the left, 
trying each number by pulling on the 
shackle, and if it does not open by the time 
you have reached the last number, start over 
again, stopping on No. 2, and proceed as be- 
fore, keep this up, starting with 3, 4, 5, 6 
and so on until the combination is found. A 
little practice and you will be able to run it 
out very quickly. 

The three-number lock is the more com- 
mon, and takes more time to open. The 
directions to open usually read os follows: 
Turn two or more revolutions to the right, 
stopping on No. (—), then turn to left, 
stopping on No. (—-), then turn to right 
stopping on No. (—), pull shackle to open. 

To work out, first turn two or more revo- 
lutions to the right, stopping on No. |, then 
turn to left, stopping on No. |, then turn | 
slowly to the right, at the same time pulling 
slightly on the shackle. If the first two num- 
bers are correct, the lock will open when 
the correct last number is reached. It not, 


then try 1-2, 1-3, 1-4, 1-5, 1-6, 1-7, and so 
74 


on up to 40, then start with 2-1, 2-2, 2-3, 
2-4, 2-5, and so on up to 40 again, keep 
trying and using out the numbers as shown. 
and the lock will open when the right com- 
bination is reached. 


It is best to have a table prepared to go by 
which will avoid confusion and the chance of 
skipping a number. I have run the idea to 
40, but the table can be run higher, all de- 
pending on how high the numbers run on the 
lock you are to open. This idea can be 
worked out on any combination lock, and 
seldom takes but a few minutes, for one is 
likely to find the combination long before 
he has run the table out. 


The padlock codes found on pages 101 
to 110 will be found very useful for this line 
of work. They are the most complete and 
up-to-date | have been able to get together 
and will work well in any number of cases. 
The lock manufacturing companies however 
are rearranging these codes so it will soon be 
almost impossible to get lists of some of the 
lines—there are also getting to be so many 
different lines of locks having recorded lists 
of combinations that if I were to try and in- 
clude them all I would have room for noth- 
ing else—when | say this I have in mind not 
only padlocks but the auto lock lines which 
are far more elaborate than the padlocks. 


Cut No. 25, page 124, is a stunt that was 
given to me to use when it is necessary to . 
drill a lock. To locate the spot to drill, set 
your dividers at A, then set at D and scribe 
E, then set at B and scribe C, the intersec- 


75 


tion F will be the point to drill. This was 
given me by an old safe-cracker, and | have 
used it with some success myself. 


To open a cylinder padlock like No. 5-52 
and No. 8-69—when locked, hold to give 
tension on the hasp similar to No. 19, page 
62, and with a hammer handle or something 
of this nature rap the hasp on the outside, © 
first one side and then the other, at the same 
time holding firmly on the lock. With a 
little practice you will have good success. 
opening locks of this variety in this way, and 
is a very valuable trick and comes in handy 
on many occasions. 


The cheap locks with flat keys similar to 
No. 27, page 37, can all be opened by a key 
made of the proper blank similar to No. 24, 
page 37. 


Now I could go on indefinitely telling you 
how to open any number of the cheap 
variety of locks you will find on the market, 
but I feel that the average locksmith is not 
looking for a lot of information that will be 
of no interest to him, for | feel that anyone 
who can handle the cylinder end of it can 
easily get by with the other part of it, for 
he will have an opportunity to work them 
out as they come in. 


Therefore I believe that the great ma- 
jority of the good locksmiths are anxious to 
learn all they can concerning the higher 
grades of locks, and it is this class of work I 
_ intend to bring out more than any other. Of 
course anyone can open any and all locks by 
forcing them, but the locksmith that under- 
stands his business and is a mechanic will do 
his work with as little damage as possible. 


76 


l am going to give you a lot of items in 
the way of general information that have 
come to me from every imaginable source 
and which I can hardly classify under any 
particular line of locks, consequently you 
will find a little of everything “‘well mixed’’. 


Figure No. | is a pick for use on the old 
style locks using a key similar to No. 4, page 
59. These locks are made in three and four 
tumbler sizes generally, and the pick works 
out very nicely, and one is nearly always 
able to open them with but little trouble with 
a tool of this kind. The blade should be 6 
or 8 inches long, one-quarter inch wide, and 
about the thickness of the keys they use. 
The heavy quarter-inch lock spring is quite 
suitable for this purpose. 


The handle, made in two pieces, simply 
clamp them together with the pick between, 
in a vise, and the impression can be deep- 
ened and a very serviceable and nicely fitted 
handle is the result. It possesses enough 
merit that | have illustrated it (No. 2). 


No. 3, page 59, is a key-filing gauge, the 
steps being graduated in thirty-seconds of an 
inch, and of any convenient size that one 
might fancy. I would suggest making it out 


of cold rolled steel, 1-16 x 3-4 x 4 inches, - 


case hardened, would be an ideal size. 


No. 6, page 59, are pick suggestions, 
made from heavy wound piano wire, which 
can be picked up around almost any music 
or piano store, and the copper winding 
makes ideal handles for small picks and a 
variety of such tools. 


77 


Nos. 10 and 11, page 59, are very in- 
teresting, because of the fact they are well 
arranged and submitted by a locksmith 78 
years old. 


Nos. 13 and 14, page 62, are picks used 
for opening three and four lever padlocks, 
to be used the same as Nos. 6 and 7, page 
44, in previous sheets. The advantage of 
No. 13 is that it does not have to be taken 
out and reversed, which gives it consider- 
able advantage over other style picks. 


Nos. 15, 16 and 17, page 62, are used 
for lever desk locks. No. 15 works on the 
levers, No.. 17 works on the bolt, and No. 
16 is used as a tension tool when there is a 
shoe on the bottom that works the bolts. 

To make a pattern key for a six-lever 
lock, No. 10, page 62, cut six pieces of No. 
18 brass wire about one and one-half inches 
long, square up one end of each wire, and 
after getting the six levers pressed in so that 
the drill goes down past all of them (see cut 
No. 4, page 44), hold the drill straight, put 
the six pieces of wire in, one for each lever, 
put soldering paste on the wires and hold in 
the flame of a Bunson burner and touch with 
wire solder, and you have a pattern which 
you can clamp on a blank and have a per- 
fectly fitting key. 

To open mail boxes having spring locks, 
make a tool as shown in diagram No. 10, 
page 56, and operate as follows: Insert the 
tool through the crack of the door and 
manipulate so that the hook part is behind 
the bolt of the lock. By pulling it out -it 
will put sufficient strain on the bolt that it 
will be forced back and fly open. The cut 
gives the idea plainly, with proper dimen- 
sions. 


78 


To open trunk locks, using the barrel 
keys. Take a blank and cut as per cut No. 
7, page 56, also make picks as per cut No. 
8, and to operate, proceed as follows: In- 
sert No. 7 and turn as if to unlock, and hold 
snugly in this position; now take No. 8 and 
work the tumblers until they allow the little 
pin to enter the slot, and it will unlock. By 
a little practice you will have no trouble with 
this “‘stunt,’” and it will come in handy many 
times. 


Another suggestion for making the pick 
or tension key is to take the proper blank, 
file as per No. 7, and then heat the handle 
red hot and bend into the shape suggested 
in No. 9. 


I have had so many inquiries for the sets 
of trunk keys that are described in the book, 
and also the different sets of picks, that I 
have decided to get out cuts illustrating the 
different keys and picks in exact size, and 
cuts numbered so it will be easy to make the. 
sets complete; or better still, simply get the 
number on the lock, look it up and file as 
per illustration. This will have the advan- 
tage of giving you a full set of trunk keys, 
and no money tied up, which will be quite 
an item. (See pages 111 to 120). 


This feature alone will be a great help, I 
am sure, to lots of the locksmiths, especially 
in the smaller towns. You must bear in 
mind that it will be impossible to spring 
everything new to all of us, but the idea is 
that all will get something of interest to 
everyone from time to time. 


72 


To open the standard opposed lever pad- 
lock as per sketch No. 5, page 44, slide a 
thin piece of steel down by the side of the 
shackle and put some pressure on the lock- 
ing bolt, at the same time work the levers to 
position with picks similar to 13-14 and 15, 
page 62. 


To pick the knob lock on the inner or steel 
doors of safes, the kind that have the raised 
knob with knurled edge and key-hole in the 
center, proceed as follows: Hold the knob 
in the fingers and apply unlocking pressure 
at the same time use a suitable pick, even a 
knife blade will often do, and raise the tum- 
blers until you can feel them enter the slot 
and with but very little practice you should 
be able to open any of this variety in two to 
five minutes. 


To produce an exact picture or reproduc- 
tion of any flat key, cover one side with 
Prussian blue, “some call it mechanics blue” 
put colored side next to the paper and tap 
on the key with something of sufficient 
weight and you can easily produce a cut 
almost as good as a half tone. 


Another spring idea for putting a tension 
on the hasp of a padlock while opening is 
made on the plan of 12, page 41, the cut 
gives enough of the detail that you will have 
no difficulty making one. 


If called on to open the inner door of a 
safe and if after a thorough try out you feel 
that you will be obliged to drill a hole in 
the door the following measurements were 


80 


given me which were claimed to be suffi- 
ciently correct for almost all the popular 


makes. Drill a 14 inch hole 14 inch above 
and !/2 inch to the left of key hole. 


Now I will not vouch for the accuracy of 
these measurements but the party giving 
them to me claimed they would work out on 
almost any of them, consequently I am hand- 
ing it on. 


Ford auto keys have only 4 different com- 
binations except for the milled slot. 


For instance take keys Nos. 51-57-63 and 
69 and file the bits enough to take out the 
milled slot and the four will work all Ford 
switch locks. The No. 51 key will work 
Nos. 51-52-53-54-55-56 and so on with the 


others. 


This makes a very handy combination of 
keys to have for emergency work for it does 
not require carrying the whole set. Of 
course the proper keys with the milled slot 
work much better for they can only be in- 
serted the right way, while one of the above 
may go into the lock and not work until 
taken out and turned over. A comparison 
of some of the keys will show plainly how 
it is worked out and how the four keys 
above mentioned does the work of the full 
set. Also see illustration on page 63 show- 
ing a proper 5| key and how the combina- 
tions with the four are worked out. 


To open combination on tin cash or bond 
boxes, proceed as follows: Place a screw- 
driver or other such tool between lid or 
cover and the box to take up all slack or 
play (No. 9-a, page 58), and directly over 
center of the lock drill with a No. 50 drill 


81 


through the box and face of the lock (No. 
9-b). Now take a small piece of music 
wire that will go through the hole, with one 
end sharp and slightly curved, push back 
spring bolt to the right, and the box is 
opened. Fill up the hole with black sealing 
wax and it will never be noticed. 


I] have had such a large number of in- 
quiries as to stunts for getting in extra money 
or sides lines, you might say | have taken a 
little space, suggesting the key name plates. 
They take well, have a good margin of 
profit, and have the effect of an advertise- 
ment. I have come in contact with several 
shops that were taking in a number of extra 
dollars each month in this way, and prac- 
tically no money invested. (See page 62, 


_Nos. 20 and 21). 
Another locksmith at Rochester, N. Y., 


tells me he does a nice little business each 
month repairing hot water bottles. He does 
it as follows: Clean around the leak with 
gasoline and sandpaper, then put on rubber 
cement and let dry about six hours; take 
auto tread gum and roll on glass until a neat, 
round patch is made; then press firmly on 
cement bag, and after the job has dried 
your repair is as good and will last as long 
as the bag lasts. I have a stopper with a 
bicycle valve attached, and by pumping up, 
it is easy to find all the leaks. One gets 
from 25 cents to $1.00, according to the 
original value of the article. 


One of the handiest tools one can have 
around the shop is a Prest-O-Lite gas torch 
outfit. They are a mighty handy little tool 
and the cost is very moderate. No. 24, 


82 


page 62, gives you an idea, though there is 
a much better outfit out now. 


The little key filing jig No. 25 is also a 
handy tool to have in the grip for outside 
jobs. They are small, accurate, and are a 
first-class tool for hand filing where one does 
not have access to a power cutting machine. 


The cut on page 63 shows an idea for 
mounting a pair of calipers on a block of 
wood, in this way they are always set up- 
right and have all the ear marks of making 
a very handy tool. 


Pages 121 to 124 are the mail box 
keys. These are the boxes you will find in- 
stalled in apartments, flats and homes, and 
are hard to pick and to fit keys to, for the 
fact that they are spring locks and are 
riveted on. Do not get the idea that these 
are Post Office box keys, for they are not. 
In fact, nothing in this book contains any- 
thing on Government work, for if you are 
not authorized by proper authority to do it 
you had better let such work alone. 


| pistANcE AT B 
g~l VISA COT 
EQuak TOB 
ALL WARO CUTS FRE rip see a 
S DIs/4AS DEEP AS 4, 
EQUAL TO Ho 4 -CuTs. 1180 COT AT Alb. 
We aM A 


rab a ,8, 


* ( ALL WARGO CUTS ARE 
THE SAME RS THE 


fEQULAR cut, 
No43tl. 


Covg-ON BLANK. THAN LOCATE THE TOMBLERS ANDO FIKE CUTS THE 
DEPTH INOICATED BY MOMBERS. No 4-CoT EYoKES DISTAKCE -B x 


83 


The tapping system for opening cylinder 
locks that I have described previously, works 
on some varieties of padlocks, especially 
those similar to cut No. 26, page 37, and the 
six-lever kind using the double-bitted key. 
To open, put a strain on the hasp and rap on 
the hinge side; if they do not open quickly, 
relieve the strain and try again. This allows 
the tumblers or levers to go back to their - 
normal position, some of which may have 
been forced too far to line up. Dropping 
a little oil into the lock always helps with 
this kind of a job, and very often it could 
never have been opened had it not been 


oiled. 


In opening cylinder padlocks such as No. 
26, page 37, a good way is to use a strong 
spring about the size of a tenpenny nail, and 
bend as illustrated, page 69, and tap from 
end to end on the side as indicated in the 
drawing, the spring giving the necessary 
tension to hold the pins while tapping to 
open. 


On the push key type of padlocks the fol- 
lowing system was described to me: Clamp 
it in a swivel vise by the hasp, turning the 
vise so that the bottom of the lock faces you, 
and with a piece of straight wire, while you 
are putting a tension on the lock by pulling 
on the hasp with one hand, push up the tum- 
blers with the other. When the lock is 
opened, to make a key, first file a key rough- 
ly by looking into the keyhole and getting 
the line-up of the levers, and finish by black- 
ing the key and inserting and filing wherever 
it shows a high place. This system may 
work well on some type of locks, but do not 
think it will work out on but a few varieties. 


84 


Do not forget that the tension spring (No. 
1, page 69), comes in nicely on all jobs 
where it requires a strain on the hasp for 
opening. 


Cut No. 2, page 69, represents a desk, 
cabinet or key that is used on inside vault 
doors of the older makes that one comes in 
contact with occasionally. Take a blank 
and cut out a place as indicated at X, and 
fill in with solder and bevel off as shown; 
now by carefully working the key back and 
forth, you will slowly cut out notches with 
the tumblers or, in other words, each tum- 
bler will cut its own notch, and when your 
lock opens you have a pattern to go by for 
making a new key, if there is no way to see 
the tumblers in the lock when making one. 
This system is claimed to work out on all 
locks where the key does not turn all the 
way over. You can hurry up the operation 
by keeping the bit of the key beveled as the 
tumblers cut the grooves down. 


(The above stunt was sent me but I am 
sure it would work only with locks using 
-tumblers similar to No. 5, page 63, and then 
with the bolt in the unlocked position). 


From Kilgorie, S. W. Australia, the fol- 
lowing two ideas were sent me. One seems 
to be nothing more nor less than the good 
old reliable buttonhook pick No. 4, and the 
other is what I would call an impression jig. 
It is made up of a number of suitable little 
plates held with a clamp and operated as 


illustrated (No. 5 A, B, C and D, page 69). 


A locksmith well up in the line gave me 
the following idea in making picks: File 


85 


them as illustrated (cut No. 6, page 69), the 
idea is this, file the picks so that they work 
on either side by simply turning them over. 
In this way you double the capacity of your 
pick. 


Another idea which I got and probably 
should have been taken care of in the fore 
part of this book is this. I have covered 
the cylinder operating stunt by the tapping 
system quite thoroughly, and it is one you 
will use more than any other for making 
original keys, but it does not seem to have 
been described for use on doors which are 
locked and which can be used in the follow- 
ing way: Make a spring tension tool (No. 
8, page 59), insert this into the key hole, 
being careful not to touch the first pin, and 
giving the plug a side strain tap with a 
wooden or rubber mallét on the top of the 
cylinder. This was sent me and recom- 
mended as being a good stunt but person: 
ally | think it is worthless. 


To open a cylinder padlock similar to 
Nos. 7 and 8, page 69, can often be done 
in the following way: Take a piece of lock 
spring about two feet long, put one end in 
a vise and the other end in the lock keyhole, 
give it a tension of one turn and rap the lock 
with a piece of wood on the proper edge 
just as you would in rapping open a cylinder. 
You will be able to get a great many open 
in this way with but little difficulty. 


For those who are not old experienced 
hands in the locksmithing business | here- 
with offer a few suggestions in the way of 
supplies necessary in handling work of this 
kind. : 

86 


The first requisite is good tools, especially 
files, get Warding files, 3, 4, 5 and 6-inch, 
plenty of cylinder springs, both sizes, a good 
assortment of pins, both upper and lower 
in the large and small sizes, also get in 
limited amounts, connecting screws, con- 
necting bars, mortise lock coil springs, knob 
screws, knob washers, both large and small, 
trunk nails, assorted trunk rivets, No. 9, 
assorted lengths, burrs for the rivets, assort- 
ed flat lock spring steel, some brass flat 
spring wire, one-sixteenth and three thirty- 
seconds wide by .035 inch thick, some round 
brass spring wire .035 inch and .045 inch 
thick will be found very useful. For filing 
cylinder keys by hand, get®5 inch or 6 inch 
rat tail files, medium cut. Cylinder pins 
should be made of wire as follows, large, 
.115 inch; medium, .102 inch; small, .095 
inch. A good assortment of blanks of course 
is necessary and care should be used in 
selecting them so as not to get a lot of dead 
ones on hand. 


Now on the subject of making picks for 
_all the different locks, my experience has 
been this: That you can go ahead and make 
a lot of fancy ones out of Stubb steel, with 
polished handles and all that, but they are 
not one bit better than those | make out of 
a piece of flat spring steel with a pair of tin- 
snips in about a minute, and | can unlock as 
many locks with these inexpensive little tools 
as anyone can with their fancy outfits. 


It is far more important to get a good set 
of picks of the proper sizes and shapes than 
to spend so much time on looks and quality, 
although of course I will admit that those 
made of Stubb steel are as good in quality as 
it is possible to get the others answer the 


87 


purpose practically just as well and have 
the advantage of being very easy to replace 
should they get broken and at scarcely no 
expense at all. 

No. 19, page 62 shows a way of opening 
cylinder padlocks when locked on a door. 
You simply hold the lock by the strap and 
rap on the side as described at No. 11, 
page 62. 

To open padlocks and desk locks using 
double-bitted keys, proceed as follows: 
Select the proper blank (this is important, ) 
insert in the lock and turn as to open several 
times. You will then be able to locate the 
position of the tumblers by the marks on the 
key. Now locate the brightest marks on the 
blank, these will be the deepest cuts. Start 
and file this mark (the same depth on each 
side) about 1/32 inch deep; insert the key 
and at each trial note the marks and file 
again at the same time looking out for the 
other tumblers that will begin marking the 
key. To make the key keep filing each slot 
in the same proportion, and when the key 
readily turns a full quarter turn the lock will 
open and your key is complete. 

The cheap class of night latches using a 
key, similar to No. 10 (page 44) can all be 
unlocked by simply making a pass key as 
per No. ||. They can also be opened by 
slipping something between the door and 
casing as explained elsewhere in the book. 

There are several firms, nowadays putting 
out to the public sets of what they term 
‘master keys’, of course they have well 
worded and attractive ads and do lots of 
business but as far as being master keys they 
are far from it, they are simply a set of pass 
keys that will work on some of the cheapest 
locks such as you will find on the back door 

88 


of the hen house or some old closet and 
occasionally perhaps a back door of a home 
but that is about all. They are selling a lot 
of them though and if the public is satisfied 
it is a sure thing | am. 

I am calling your attention to this with 
the idea that it could be worked as a sort of 
a side line in almost any community. One 
wouldn't do a great deal of business of 
course but he would sell some and every 
little helps. The cut, No. 12, page 31, will 
no doubt be familiar for one sees ads of this 
nature in a number of the magazines these 
days. 

In looking over and checking up the dif- 
ferent stunts the so-called escape artists and 
handcuff kings whose acts you see in all the 
show houses throughout the country, | find 
that without exception they are all faked in 
one way or another, all depending on doc- 
tored locks “many of which | have fixed my- 
self’ together with special keys hidden and 
concealed in every imaginable way and 
place. The construction of the canopy un- 
der which or in which they always work 
solves the mystery of the whole thing for 
hidden within it are the necessary tools and 
keys for the entire act. For instance there is 
the escape from the iron cage, a massive 
affair apparently secure in every way, the 
artist being placed inside and in addition to 
the regular locking device additional chain 
is interlaced up and down through the door 
and securely locked with padlocks. Nowa 
covering of course is placed over the cage 
and in a very few minutes the artist appears 
and the cage apparently is as securely locked 
as before, in fact it is, for in order to escape 
the actor has simply removed the pin from 
the specially constructed hinges, placed the 

89 


pin back as soon as he was out and that was 
all there is to it, and so it goes with every 
act of this kind. They are not wizards in 
manipulating locks or anything of the kind, 
they are simply clever fakers. 


I have worked out a number of these out- 
fits and should any of my readers be in- 
terested in the line I can give you details of 
a number—such as escaping from a mailbag, 
glass case, iron bottle, iron box, straight 
jacket, handcuffs and so on, in fact any of 
those stunts. 


To make a key for those auto tire locks, 
the kind that goes around the tire and rim 
of the wheel is not so easy a job as it per- 
haps looks. Several ways have come to my 
notice but one of the best is as follows: 

First pick the lock so that the halves are 
separated, and without putting them to- 
gether lock the cylinder, this will turn 
the bolt that holds the two parts together, 
now simply slam the free parts together un- 
til the cylinder shears off the two little rivets 
that hold it in place and it will then be an 
easy matter to remove the lock complete, 
from here on proceed to make a key as you 
would any cylinder lock. While you have the 
lock out it is easy to drive out the rivets and 
when you replace the lock it will be easy to 
drive new pins in the place of the ones you 
removed. After you have done one or two of 
these jobs it will be easy and I| never yet 
have seen a lock damaged to any extent by 
this method of getting them out so you will 
be taking no great chances. 

The main thing is to get them unlocked 
so as to release the opposite half and [ 
would advise that you do this part of it by 
your favorite way, some prefer one way and 


90 


others another. This will be largely up to 
you. Use your own judgment as to this. 


A good thing to keep in mind, especially 
if your business is such that you are called on 
to install the various kinds of locks, is this. 


All the standardized locks, particularly 
cabinet locks may be had in several dif- 
ferent makes, for instance, the following list 
and many more will each fit in the same 
place and under the same conditions, in 
other words they are interchangeable. 


Corbin Eagle Yale Corbin Eagle Yale 


01 42 SA21 310 473 Piva 
2 55 S22 316 1927 P183 

4 34 525 331 1060 PA200 
032 37 SA2 405 49 R354 
34 166 S4 0411 302 RA2 
36 160 S6 0450 562 RA100 
38 83 S8 452 454 R101 


046 01896 SA296 457 237 R108 
47C 1864C S246 0462 413 RA111 


063 585 SA68 500 6031 R160 
80 583 S82 590 GO90 p= 
104 427 S114 0602 6002 RA312 
0137 01850 SAz290 626 72 R466 
0145 6070 SA155 630 81 R470 
0676 01902 RA396 0784 01910 RA399 
0140 6099 SA150 0626 68 RA466 
0145 6070 SAI155 630 81 R470 
0168 03061 5541 635 180 R475 
0172' 03003 521 0667 03203 5560 
301 1881 P160 0675 01901 RA395 


There is a list of about three times as 
many more but | have not the space for 
more and they can be easily obtained by 
writing to the manufacturers who will gladly 
furnish them. 


91 


Padlocks of the six-lever variety using the 
double bitted keys can generally be opened 
by putting some pressure on the hasp and 
tapping on the hinge side. They generally 
will pop open without much effort. 


The following idea was given me for 
opening a door locked with a Segal Cylinder 
lock. Cut off the ring surrounding the cyl- 
inder and unscrew the two nuts holding the 
parts together, the cylinder can then be re- 
moved and the bolt easily thrown with a 
screwdriver. One generally has an extra 
ring that will replace the one destroyed. 


See No. 11, page 31. 


An idea for fixing up a little vise for filing 
keys was handed me and was claimed to 
work very well and there seems to be no 
reason why it should not be a very handy 
tool. No. 13, page 31 will give you an 
idea of how it was arranged. 


A great many locks -especially mortise 
door locks with cast iron parts and cases 
that are often thrown away on account of 
some little piece being broken can’ very often 
be repaired by welding and a very good job 
done at a little expense and good profit 
where otherwise if a new lock is installed 
some dealer will get the profit and you will 
lose out, so make it a point to fix them up 
if there is any fix left in them and you feel 
they will stand up. Of course it is better to 
pass up some of them if you feel they are 
liable to come back, for then is when you 
loose your profit. To exist in a small place — 
it is absolutely necessary that you guarantee 
all your work and depend on the trade com- 
ing back. 


92 


A number of inquiries have come to me 
asking why I do not include in the book the 
codes for the different auto locks, and my 
answer to this is as follows: 


The codes themselves are of no value 
unless you have the different sets of tem- 
plates, another thing there are so many they 
would make a good book with nothing 
more. For instance the Yale have any num- 
ber of different series of lock combinations 
which for example run into numbers as fol- 
lows: Series K, 300 changes, SF-250, 
HM-250, EC-500, P-300, RD-300, and 
probably dozens more on the same plan, 
and when you take several different man- 
ufacturers. doing the same thing you can 
easily see the almost impossibility of me in- 
cluding them in the book. I will however 
give you an idea of how the template idea is 
worked out. 


We will take for instance the small cyl- 
inder key of a certain series, the pins are 
divided into say seven different lengths, 
making that many different depth cuts, a 
gauge for these different cuts is made as per 
drawing No. |, page 63. Now the tem- 
plates are simply keys of the same kind cut 
the whole length of the bit the same depth, 
so if there is seven different lengths pins, 
there would be seven templates necessary 
(see Nos. 2-3 and 4 templates, page 63), 
consequently if you were to get a certain key 
number for some series, says S. F. Yale, you 
- would get your Yale template keys and cut 
each cut from your set of templates. This 
you will see requires an elaborate set of tem- 
plates and codes, and if you are doing an 
txensive business in this line it will be quite 
necessary to have them, otherwise it will 


93 


hardly pay, but will work out more to your- 
advantage to buy them outright from some- 
one having the codes rather than spend a lot 
of time trying to get them together. 


I have before me a circular from an outfit 
in the east trying to get together a complete 
set of codes and making an appeal to the 
different locksmiths to come in on the 
scheme, and the price will only be $100.00, 
and then not complete, so you see only the 
big key making outfits can Hardly afford to 
get into such a deal. 


I will give you an idea of how to work out 
a scheme for keeping track of keys that will 
pay, this idea is for the auto sets more than 
anything else. 


To use, the locksmith should take the 
gauge, No. |, page 63, and measure each 
cut, keeping a record of the number on the 
key and the gauge number— for instance, 
key number N. E. 702 might be 5131, read- 
ing from the handle out. The first requisite 
of course is the gauge which will have to be 
made and fitted to factory cut keys. By 
getting two or three of the same series one 
can easily make up the gauge which will 
have 7 different cuts (see Nos. 2, 3 and 4, 
page 63). Your key templates can also be 
made the same way by first selecting the dif- 
ferent cuts and taking 7 key blanks and cut- 
ting them as follows: No. | is not cut at all, 
No. 2 is first cut 3, second cut and so on, 
remembering that each template key is cut 
the same the entire length of the bit (see 
Nos. 2, 3 and 4, page 63). If you are doing 
much key cutting in the auto key line it will 
take but a short time before you will be able 
to cut the different sets by number. 


94 


I might also suggest that you’ can hurry 
your list along by exchanging numbers with 
other locksmiths, providing they have a 
gauge exactly like yours. 


The seven size gauge illustrated, of course, 
is for locks using keys of such a size that the 
pins are divided into but 7 lengths. Larger 
cylinders may use more pins. 


Pages 111 to 120 are the set of trunk 
keys and contain about every combination 
using these keys. As ‘they are exact size 
and cuts, it is only necessary to get the num- 
ber on the lock and file as the cut indicates. 


I recently received a letter from a party 
running a large and successful locksmithing 
business in one of the eastern cities and 
among other things which were mentioned 
he gave the following idea on how to runa 
shop and they are so true that they are worth 
mentioning. First, don't disappoint a cus- 
tomer; if you promise to do a job at a cer- 
tain time, by all means do—get a good price 
and always guarantee your work. When a 
cylinder is brought in to have a key fitted 
and you have it apart, ream out the pin holes 
and buff up the front so it looks like new, 
always dust in some graphite so the key 
works easily and perfectly. You can get 75 
cents while others get 50 cents, and the cus- 
tomer will be better satisfied. Always take 
the burrs off the bits and if it is a flat steel 
key, take a little fine emery cloth and polish 
it up, it will look 100% better and does not 
cost but a trifle more. 


95 


Have a small die made with your name 
and address and stamp your work, it's good 
business and an excellent advertisement. 


He also makes suggestions for getting 
extra business, such as threading of all kinds, 
soldering, brazing, etc. Outfits for this line 
of work do not cost a great deal and bring a 
good many extra jobs every day. 


For impression work of different kinds a 
loyal friend says he uses common modeling 
clay to very good advantage. It can be pur- 
chased at almost any school supply store, 
and lasts for years. 


Cut No. 3, page 48, illustrates a turn key 
for working keys when left in the lock. It 
works fairly well but has the disadvantage 
of being hard to make, very frail and easily 


broken. 


The same results are accomplished and 
more with the very simple and inexpensive 
little wire tool illustrated on page 31, No. 10. 


The directions for working out the com- 
bination of locks—on page 74, begins by 
turning first to the right, the opposite is 
often the case, consequently just reverse the 
entire operation. 


As a convenience in handling trunk key 
jobs I have arranged the following inter- 
change table. This has been condensed so 
that only the common keys that one comes 
in contact with ordinarily have been in- 
cluded—-many more could be added but 
would be so seldom used that it will hardly 


pay. 
96 


Eagle 


> 
> 


uAOVvOzZErAe 


<ai 


Corbin 


me 


Hw 


Se 
QU AWN 


—N 
SES eles 
Oem NWAUANON = 


5 
Dom pom pommel meh emech fem ped eh pee 


aiatatalataie 


44 
“IO 


Yale 


A-51 


A-53 


E-51 
E-52 
E-53 
E-54 
E-55 
E-56 
E-57 
E-58 
E-59 
E-60 
E-61 
E-62 
C-51 


C-53 


B-51 


B-52 
AD 


B-53 


B-54 


97 


Star 


3-4 


30 


41 


Excelsior 


G-22 
G-24 


G-25 


The following set of 65 keys are the most 
complete and condensed | have been able 
to get hold of to date. They include the fol- 
lowing: 


E.agle—EE, HH, SS, D, Er Gare 
26,032, 033, 73Y1, 73Y 2 ee 
73Y5, 73Y6,.73Y7, J3YO7o tee ee 
410, 2ST, 1ST, 6ST, W and 25) Yandez7, 
28 and 028, 29 and 029, 30 and 030, 31 
and .031,. 178, 412,- 714; BB -AA Oars 
L, M, N, 0,“P; Q, RS bee eee 
ATs AS, 


Excelsior—G21, G22, G23, G24, G25 
and G26. 


Star——* 1) *2,°*#3) 24 
Taylor—-7401, C601. 


By referring to interchange table the 
above list will fit. 


Yale—A51, A53, E51, E52, E53, E54, 
B55, £56, E57, E58) E59 RGU) eee 
C51, C53. B51, B52, AD Bae ha 


And will fit Corbin Nos. T2, T3, T4, 15, 
T6, ST, Tl, STZ, Rise ie ee 
Tt4, T13, T12, 701, 2 ee ee 
7ST, T80. 


Also Orphan Keys Nos. G52, G53, G54. 
In all this 65 key set will fit 124 of the 


common lock combinations of drilled keys. 


In flat trunk keys I would recommend get- 
ting the different sets complete if you think 
your business will justify it, or use the illus- 
trations in the book which will work out 
with but little difficulty. 


98 


The following padlock code or cutting 
chart is the most complete I have been able 
to get together to date and is used under tHe 
following directions: 


Find the number on the padlock which 
may also contain one or more letters such 
as FC18, B9, D27 and etc., now when there 
are two letters simply disregard the first 
one, for example: FC 18 would be read 


Sh he 


The following letters signify numbers as 


Aiea, Be) 7, 123, F-4, F-5, G-6 and etc. 


Sample numbers will read and be deter- 
mined thusly, Padlock number FC7, disre- 
gard the F makes it C7 and C being equiv- 
alent to 2 makes it 27 and 27 in 2-inch brass 
padlock would be cut 2234. 


h-2 7 wvould be B-25 or No: 125 in 2- 
inch brass is cut 4113. F-6 would be 56; 
FB-94 would be 194 and etc. 


I will explain from the illustration on page 
63 just how the code numbers are worked 
out. 


Cut No. 6 shows the proper sized blank 
cut for the words the depth of these are 
equal to the offset on the end. (See dotted 
line, No. 6). 


Now No. 1 of the code numbers is no cut 
at all. A No. 4 is equal to a ward cut. 


A No. 3 is two-thirds as deep as a No. 4, 
and a No. 2 is one-third as deep as a No. 4. 


Some give this out in fractions of inches 
but as it amounts to the same thing | think 
the above system is the easiest to understand 
and to remember. 


“99 


No. 7 on the lock would read F-0, in the 
2-inch brass the code number would be 
3414, consequently file as illustrated, No. 7. 


No. 8 is H-3 and H equals 7 and 3 makes 
it 73 and 73 in the code is 4243. 


No. 9 is C-04 and C-2 and 04 makes it 
204 which is 1241. 


Nos. 10 and 11 are worked out just the 
same. 

In the majority of jobs you will be able 
to cut a key by the chart very quickly and 
have no difficulty in getting it to fit, if how- 
ever you are unable to find a number that 
will work out you can then resort to the 
picking system described in another part of 
the book and easily get by in that way. 


100 


KEY CUTTING TABLES 


For directions as to their use see pages 99, 100, 106 


803-813-823-833 
154 INCH OR SMALLER 


Key Numbers Tumblers Key Numbers Tumblers 


1 28 55 333 15 42 69 122 
2 «29° 56 233 16 43 70 312 
3 30 57 133 17 44 71 212 
4 31 58 323 18 45 72 112 
5 32 59 223 19 46 73 331 
6 33 60 123 20 47 74 231 
7 #34 #61 313 21 48 75 131 
8 35 62 213 22 49 76 321 
9 36 63 113 23 50 77 221 
10 37 64 332 24 51 78 121 
11 38, 65 232 Ze 1 311 
12 39 66 132 26 53 80 211 
13 40 67 322 27 54 81 111 
14 41 68 Eee 
843 
13% INCH 


Key Numbers Tumblers Key Numbers Tumblers 
1 


3333 16 3123 
2 2333 17 2123 
3 1333 18 1123 
4 3233 19 3313 
5 2233 20 2313 
6 1233 21 1313 
7 3133 22 3213 
8 2133 23 2213 
9 1133 24 1213 
10 3323 25 3113 
11 2323 26 2113 
12 1323 27 1113 
13 3223 28 3332 
14 2223 29 2332 
15 1223 30 1332 


10% 


843 
134 INCH 


Key Numbers Tumblers Key Numbers Tumblers 


31 3232 67 3221 
32 2232 68 2221 
33 1232 69 1221 
34 3132 70 3121 
35 2132 71 2121 
36 1132 72 1121 
37 3322 73 3311 
38 2322 74 <part 
39 1322 75 1311 
40 3222 76 3211 
41 2222 77 : meet 
42 1222 78 1211 
43 3122 79 3111 
44 2122 80 2111 
45 1122 81 3333 
46 3312 82 2333 
47 2312 83 1333 
48 1312 84 3233 
49 3212 85 2233 
50 2212 86 1233 
51 1212 87 3133 
52 3112 88 2133 
53 2112 89 1133 
54 1112 90 3323 
55 3331 91 2323 
56 2331 92 1323 
57 1331 93 3223 
58 3231 94 2223 
59 2231 95 1223 
60 1231 96 3123 
61 3131 97 2123 
62 2131 98 ya aes 
63 1131 99 3313 
64 3321 100 2313 
65 2321 101 1313 
66 1321 


102 


8454-853-863 
2 INCH AND OVER 


Key Numbers Tumblers Key Numbers Tumblers 


1 4444 36 1424 
2 3444 37 4324 
3 2444 38 3324 
4 1444 39 2324 
5 4344 40 1324 
6 3344 Al 4224 
7 2344 42 3224 
8 1344 43 2224 
4 4244 44 1224 
10 3244 45 4124 
11 2244 46 3124 
12 1244 47 2124 
13 4144 48 1124 
14 3144 49 4414 
15 2144 50 3414 
16. 1144 51 2414 
17 4434 52 1414 
18 3434 53 4314 
19 2434 54 3314 
20 1434 55 2314 
21 4334 56 1314 
22 3334 57 4214 
23 2334 58 3214 
24 1334 59 2214 
25 4234 60 1214 
26 3234 61 4114 
27 2234 62 3114 
28 1234 63 2114 
29 4134 64 1114 
30 3134 65 4443 
31 2134 66 3443 
32~ 1134 67 2443 
33 4424 68 1443 
34 3424 69 4343 
35 2424 


103 


8454-853-863 
2 INCH AND OVER 


Key Numbers Tumblers Key Numbers Tumblers 
70 


3343 111 2123 

71 2343 112 1123 
72 1343 113 4413 
73 4243 114 3413 
74 3243 115 2413 
75 2243 116 1413 
76 1243 Li7, 4313 
0 4143 118 3313 
78 3143 119 2313 
79 2143 120 1313 
80 1143 121 4213 
81 4433 122 3213 
82 3433 123 2213 
83 2433 124 113 
84 1433 125 4113 
85 4333 126 3113 
86 3333 127 2113 
87 2333 128 1113 
- 88 1333 129 4442 
89 4233 130 3442 
90 3233 131 2442 
91 2233 132 1442 
92 1233 133 4342 
93 4133 134 3342 
94 3133 135 2342 
95 2133 ‘136 1342 
96 1133 137 4242 
97 4423 138 3242 
98 3423 139 2242 
99 2423 140 1242 
100 1423 141. 4142 
101 4323 142 3142 
102 3323 143 “2142 
103 2323 144 1142 
104 1323 145 4432 
105 4223 146 3432 
106 3223 147 2432 
107 2223 148 1432 
108 1223 149 4332 
109 4123 150 3332 
110 3123 151 2332 


104 


8454-853-863 
2 INCH AND OVER 


Key Numbers Tumblers Key Numbers Tumblers 


152 1332 193 4441 
153 4232 194 3441 
154 3232 195 2441 
155 2232 196 1441 
156 1232 197 4341 
157 4132 198 3341 
158 3132 199 2341 
159 2132 200 1341 
160 1132 201 4241 
161 4422 202 3241 
162 3422 203 2241 
163 2422 204 1241 
164 1422 205 4141 
165 4322 206 3141 
166 3322 207 2141 
167: 2322 208 1141 
168 1322 209 4431 
169 4222 210 3431 
170 3222 211 2431 
171 2222 212 1431 
172 1222 213 4331 
173 4122 214 3331 
174 3122 215 2331 
175 2122 216 1331 
176 Nig y's 217 4231 
177 4412 218 3231 
178 3412 219 2231 
179 2412 220 1231 
180 1412 221 4131 
181 4312 222 3131 
182 3312 223 2131 
183 2312 224 — 1131 
184 1312 Z 225 4421 
185 4212 226 3421 
186 3212 227. 2421 
187 2212 228 1421 
188 1212 220 4321 
189 4112 230 3321 
190 3112 231 2321 
191 2112 232 1321 
192 1112 233 4221 


105 


8454-853-863 
2 INCH AND OVER 


‘Key Numbers Tumblers Key Numbers Tumblers 


234 3221 246 3311 
235 2221 247 2311 
236 1221 248 1311 
237 4121 249 4211 
238 3121 250 3211 
239 2121 251 2211 
240 1121 252 1211 
241 4411 253 4111 
242 3411 254 3111 
243 2411 255 2111 
244 1411 256 Lay 
245 4311 
eee 


NOTICE CAREFULLY 


The following tables are worked just the 
reverse of the preceding ones. 


Simply read and work from the handle 
out (see cut, page 83) instead of the end in. 


The cuts for the 893 tables will be divided 


into 5 cuts on exactly the same plan as ex- 
plained and illustrated on pages 99 and 63. 


106 


14% INCH BLACK AND UNDER 


121 
123 
124 
131 
132 
134 
141 
142 
143 
212 
213 
214 
221 
223 
224 
231 
232 
233 
234 
241 
242 
243 
244 
311 
312 
313 
314 


OCONAQUAWN HS 


107 


321 
322 
323 
324 
331 
332 
334 
341 
342 
343 
41] 
412 
413 
414 
421 
422 
423 
424 
431 
432 
434 
122 
411 
344 
413 
414 


CUTTING TICKET FOR 893 PADLOCK KEYS 


Key 
No. 


257 
258 
259 
260 
261 
262 
263 
264 
265 
266 
267 
268 
269 
270 
271 
272 
273 
274 
275 
276 
277 
278 
279 
280 
281 
282 
283 
284 
285 
286 
287 
288 
289 
290 
291 
292 
293 
294 
295 
296 
297 
298 
299 
300 


Tum- 
lers 


5555 
4555 
3555 
2555 
1555 
5455 
4455 
3455 
2455 
1455 
5355 
4355 
3355 
2355 
1355 
5255 
4255 
3255 
2255 
1255 
5155 
4155 
3155 
2155 
1155 
5545 
4545 
3545 
2545 
1545 
5445 
4445 
3445 
2445 
1445 
5345 
4345 
3345 
2345 
1345 
5245 
4245 
3245 
2245 


Key 
No. 


301 
302 
303 
304 
305 
306 
307 
308 
309 


310 


311 

312 
313 
314 
315 
316 
317 
318 
319 
320 
321 
322 
323 
324 
325 
326 
327 
328 
329 
330 
331 
332 
333 
334 
335 
336 
337 
338 
339 
340 
341 

342 
343 
344 


Tum- 
lers 


1254 
5145 
4145 
3145 
2145 
1145 
5535 
4535 
3535 
2535 
1535 
5435 
4435 
3435 
2435 
1435 
5335 
4335 
3335 
2335 
1335 
5235 
4235 
3235 
2235 
1235 
5135 
4135 
3135 
2135 
1135 
5525 
4525 
3525 
2525 
1525 
5425 
4425 
3425 
2425 
1425 
5325 
4325 
3325 


108 


Key 
No. 


345 
346 
347 
348 
349 
350 
351 
352 
353 
354 
355 
356 
357 
358 
359 
360 
361 
362 
363 
364 
365 
366 
367 
368 
369 
370 
371 
372 
373 
374 
375 
376 
377 
378 
379 
380 
381 
382 
383 
384 
385 
386 
387 
388 


Tum- 
lers 


2325 
1325 
5225 
4225 
3225 
2225 
1225 
5125 
4125 
3125 
2125 
1125 
5515 
4515 
3515 
2515 
1515 
5415 
4415 
3415 
2415 
1415 
5315 
4315 
3315 
2315 
1315 
5215 
4215 
3215 
2215 
1215 
5115 
4115 
3115 
2115 
1115 
5554 
4554 
3554 
2554 
1554 
5454 
4454 


CUTTING TICKET FOR 893 PADLOCK KEYS 


Key 
No. 


389 
390 
391 
392 
393 
394 
395 
396 
397 
398 
399 
400 
401 
402 
403 
404 
405 
406 
407 
408 
409 
410 
411 
412 
413 
414 
415 
416 
417 
418 
419 
420 
421 
422 
423 
424 
425 
426 
427 
428 
429 
430 
431 
432 


Tum- 
lers 


3454 
2454 
1454 
5354 
4354 
3354 
2354 
1354 
5254 


“4254 


3254 
2254 
1254 
5154 
4154 
3154 
2154 
1154 
5544 
4544 
3544 
2544 
1544 
5444 
5344 
5244 
5144 
5534 
4534 
3534 
2534 
1534 
5434 
5334 
5234 
5134 
5524 
4524 
3524 
2524 
1524 
5424 
5324 
5224 


Key 
No. 


433 
434 
435 
436 
437 
438 
439 
440 
441 
442 
443 
444 
445 
446 
447 
448 
449 
450 
451 
452 
453 
454 
455 
456 
457 
458 
459 
460 
461 
462 
463 
464 
465 
466 
467 
468 
469 
470 
471 
472 
473 
474 
475 
476 


Tum- 
lers 


5124 
5514 
4514 
3514 
2514 
1514 
5414 
5314 
5214 
5114 
5553 
4553 
3553 
2553 
1553 
5453 
4453 
3453 
2453 
1453 
5353 
4353 
3353 
2353 
1353 
5253 
4253 
3253 
2253 
1253 
5153 
4153 
3153 
2153 
1153 
5543 
4543 
3543 
2543 
1543 
5443 
5343 
5243 
5143 


109 


Key 
No. 


477 
478 
479 
480 
481 
482 
483 
484 
485 
486 
487 
488 
489 
490 
491 
492 
493 
494 
495 
496 
497 
498 
499 
500 
501 
502 
503 
504 
505 
506 
507 
508 
509 
510 
511 
512 
513 
514 
515 
516 
517 
518 
519 
520 


Tum- 
lers 


5533 
4533 
3533 
2533 
1533 
5433 
5333 
5233 
5133 
5523 
4523 
3523 
2523 
1523 
5423 
5323 
5223 
5123 
5513 
4513 
3513 
2513 
1513 
5413 
5313 
5213 
5113 
5552 
4552 
3552 
2552 
1552 
5452 
4452 
3452 
2452 
1452 
5352 
4352 
3352 
2352 
1352 
5252 
4252 


CUTTING TICKET FOR 893 PADLOCK KEYS 


Key Tum- Key Tum- Key Tum- 
No. _lers No. _lers No. _lers 
521 3252 556 5512 591 4541 
522. 2252 557 4512 592 3541 
523 1252 558 3512 593 2541 
524 5152 559 2512 594 1541 
525 4152 560 1512 595 5441 
526 3152 561 5412 596 5341 
527 2152 562 5312 597 5241 
528 1152 563 5212 598 5141 
529 5542 564 5112 599 5531 
530 4542 565 5551 600 4531 
. 531 -3542 566 4551 601 3531 
532 2542 567 3551 602 2531 
533 1542 568 2551 603 1531 
534 5442 569 1551 604 5431 
535 5342 570 4541 605 5331 
536 5242 571 4451 606 5231 
537 5142 572 3451 607 5131 
538 5532 573 2451 608 5521 
539 4532 574 1451 609 4521 
540 4523 575 5351 610 3521 
541 2532 576 4351 611 2521 
542 1532 5S7¥ jso08 612.2: 1521 
543 5432 578 2351 613 5421 
544 5332 579 1351 614 5321 
545 5232 580 5251 615 5221 
546 5132 581 4251 616 5121 
547 5522 582 3251 617 5511 
548 4522 583 2251 618 4511 
549 3522 584 1251 619 3511 
550 2522 585 5151 620 2511 
551 1522 586 4151 621 - 15h1 
552 5422 587 3151 622 5411 
553 5322 588 2151 623°. S311 
oo4.° fee22 589 1151 624 5211 
555 biee 590 5541 G25 “Siti 


110 


111 


am 
| 


if 


& 


i 


112 


113 


114 


115 


116 


‘ ‘6 : | 


117 


118 


am 

a 2 U a i 

i 
it | a 


: 


119 


ea) 


ii) 
HH i Hem ih i , 
‘ty | ith 
Nh | hi 
Nii} ‘ is) 
i ye 
Hh | : 
ui H 
l 
e 


120. 


121 


122 


123 


O 


Oe 
ae Meee 
EXPLAINED 

ON 


PRECEDING 
PAGE. 


O 


124 


ADDITIONAL LOCK AND KEY 
INFORMATION. 


No. |, page 127 isa pull bar for opening 
safety deposit boxes and is made as follows: 
Take a piece of good tool steel 14” x 1” x 
12” and in one end drill and tap a 3%” or 
4” hole, also make an oblong hole about 
214” from the end (the cut shows clearly 
just how it is made). 


Next make a tool steel blank as per No. 
1A, this must be of sufficient length to oper- 
ate in the bar as follows: Slip this steel 
blank through the oblong hole in the bar 
then into the lock and turn as indicated at 
B. Now place hard wood blocks under each 
end of the bar on each side of the box to be 
opened. The steel blank, No. 1A should 
be of sufficient length so that the shoulders 
A should rest on the bar at B. Now screw 
up on the bolt at C and the bolt on the lock 
of the door to be opened will be slowly bent 
back and the door will begin to open, a 
little assistance can be given with a screw 
driver in the crack and the door comes 
open. The lock can nearly always be re- 
paired and at any rate it saves drilling the 
door which very often is out of the question. 


No. 2, page 127 is a picking tool intended 
to be used on locks taking blanks as per 
No. 3, the party sending it in claimed it was 
successful. | have never tried it out. 


No. 4, page 127 is a graphite squirter 
made from an ordinary ear syringe. Sim- 
ply cut a hole in the top, fill it up with 
graphite and then cement on a rubber patch 
and it is ready for business. One filling will 


125 


last a long time. You can also purchase at 
the corner drug store one of the old-stand- 
by insect powder dusters which also works 
out very nicely. See cut No. 9, page 131. 


No. 5, page 127 is a holding tool when 
filing back shoulders on the common door 
lock keys like No. 6, page 56. The pointed 
end is used for holding barrel or drilled 
keys, such as for trunk and cabinet locks. 
The tool itself is held in a vise. 


No. 6, page 127 is’an electric light out- 
fit and for safe work quite often comes in 
very handy. It can easily be made small 
enough to go through less than a 14” hole 
with room to see besides. The globes can 
be purchased from almost any surgical sup- 
ply house and the rest one can make them- 
selves The cut shows the construction so 
plainly you should have no difficulty in 
building one. When you have the light and 
tube fixed up, all that is necessary then, is a 
common dry battery and a cheap radio 
rheostat. 


No. 17, page 127 is a tool made from a 
hacksaw blade and is claimed to work well. 
No. 18 shows how it works. 


How to make keys for Segal pin tumbler 
padlocks: First, look at the letters on the 
cylinder at the bottom of the lock and take 
the first letter and change from first to last 
position, example—letters on lock AAEF, 


126 


SERGICAL LAMP 


2 gap 


on /AN ANGLE, 


UINBUARTE 
FPCENTEN OF T 


Wie 


hame ouTFIT 
COM PLETE 
HANDY FOR 
SAFE WORK, 


FIGS. [1]-12-/9-/7 
J§ AND IL ARE 
views OF A 
PHTENTED CYLINDER 
OPENING TOOL 
SEE BOOK FOR 


DESCRIPTION 
No!7. 


~wO0D BLOCKS 


NDY TOOL MADE FROM 
fos Wen SAW BLADE, 


127. 


take the first letter A and shift to the oppo- 
site end, it will now read AEFA. Now 
change the letters into numbers, using the 
following code. A equals 6, the deepest cut; 
B equals 5, C equals 4, D equals 3, E equals 
2, F equals | and G equals 0, or no cut. 
Measurements for the cuts can be worked 
out from a couple of factory made keys 


which you should be able to get hold of 


very easily. 


I have received a number of inquiries 
concerning a system of making keys for cyl- 
inder locks without taking them’ apart or 
when they are locked on a door. In answer 
to this I will state that | have a circular be- 
fore me from a firm claiming it to be a won- 
der and offering it to the public for only 
$5.00. It is nothing more than what is called 
the “‘wiggle’’ system and is worked as fol- 
lows: 


Have your depth gauge which is de- 
scribed elsewhere in the book with the ten 
different depths (see cuts on page 131, Nos. 
| and 2). Now with a very smooth file 
brighten the bit of the key, insert it into the 
lock and with a pair of pliers work from 
side to side with considerable pressure, next 
take out the blank and examine closely for 
slight depressions or marks on the bit, if 
none show up one can generally file the 
whole bit down to the next depth by the 
gauge. Keep trying and filing and at the 
same time closely watching for marks, and 
in this way it is possible to make the key. 
Very fine files are essential and a magnify- 
ing glass or good reading glass works to 
good advantage. 


128 


This comes a long ways from being an 
easy system but | will admit many become 
quite expert at it. Personally I have had 
better luck picking them. 


My attention has been called to a side- 
line which seems to work out fairly well. It 
is a padlock service and the idea is simply 
to keep in touch with hardware dealers and 
‘such in your surrounding territory and 
specialize on making padlock keys. You 
may not make much at first but in a short 
while you will become so expert that you 
can handle any of them and make money 
at it. It works out well for the reason that 
you can do such work when there is noth- 
ing more urgent on hand. 


Another suggestion for the novelty shop 
is to bear in mind that there is being used 
more and more electrical household ap- 
pliances every day and every one of them 
means more or less service; consequently 
get prepared for it, go after it and you will 
be surprised how much you will be able to 


land. 


No. 6, page 131 is an idea of a machine 
I have seen to indicate the depths of cuts 
and for keeping a systematical record. A 
firm in Ohio tried to put it on the market 
but I have never seen but a couple of them 
and | doubt if they are even made any more. 


No. 7, page 131 is a key clamping tool 
that one can easily make and is very handy 
especially for outside jobs. 


No. 8, page 131 is an emergency key 
clamp that speaks for itself and needs no 
further explanation. 


129 


I have covered the code question to some 
extent on pages 93 and 94 and made a 
statement to the effect that if you did not 
go into this extensively it did not pay and 
in fact this is true, but the conditions are 
changing so rapidly and there are so many 
automobiles nowa-days that if you do not 
get into it and be up-to-the-minute you sim- 
ply lose out, that is all there is to it, conse- 
quently I believe the situation really de-- 
mands all the information possible on this 
branch of the business, and | will give you 
some more ideas on gauges, templates and 
codes. 


To begin with it is necessarily essential 
that your templates and gauges be abso- 
lutely accurate and correct and if this is the 
case nine-tenths of your trouble with miss 
fits will be eliminated. 


My experience with templates is this, 
make your own on your own key machine 
and you will get the best results, of course 
if you get a machine from a firm that fur- 
nishes them along with it and guarantees 
them, then you are taking no chances, but 
to buy them from some ‘‘Wandering Willie’ 
you will simply be out of luck. 


You of course know that. different make 
machines have differently designed clamps 
and these are bound to make a difference 
and if you are not careful will cause all 
kinds of trouble, so avoid it by having a 
first-class set of templates and gauges. 


130 


CKEY CUTTING GUAGE, 


SOK KEYCUTTING TEMPLATE 


ISTRAIQH T 
Ni 

BIT TEMPLATE 
Wee 


EMERGENCY 
7 KEY CLAMP 


tT SPEAKS FOR 
*TSELF, 


ZA. pAKES A Qooe 


GPA PHITE DUSTER : 


: 
7 oon KEY Fire Use 
“ ANGLE Xx% 


FOR ROUND FILES USE, 

SWISS PATTERN 
EXTRA FING 6° 

ALSO WARDING 

" 4" AND ite FRAT 
THESE ARE EXCELLENT 

KEY F/AES. 


131 


To make your own outfit all you have to 
do is to get two or three factory cut keys 
that happen to have all the depths and cut 
your set of templates and make the gauges 
from these, they will work out correctly and 
you save the “hold-up” prices asked by 
those trying to do business by the get-rich- 
quick system. 


In making your templates, make them on 
the plan of the cuts Nos. 2, 3 and 4, page 
63, and Nos. 3 and 3-A, page 131, and not 
like No. 4, page 131. 


When your template is made on the plan 
of No. 3 it can vary quite considerably in 
relation to the stop shoulder and not change 
the depth of the cut enough to throw it off, 
but when made similar to No. 4 the posi- 
tions must be exact, otherwise you will be 
courting trouble. 


No. 3A, page 131 has the bit of the tem- 
plate cut straight with the pin positions 
marked, a great many use this style and it is 
all right. 


No. 5, page 131 shows how your key 
should look after it is cut. It will work a 
much bigger percentage of times than if it 
was cut on the plan of No. 4. 


Gauge No. |, page 131 is my choice for 
the reason [| think it will stand the wear and 
tear longer and is easy to make. No. 2 also 
works well but on account of the straight 
side of the openings being on a bevel it will 
not stand up as long as No. |. Both how- 
ever have one good feature and that is as 
wae wear they will read high rather than 
ow. 


132 


CODES 


Now as to codes, there seems to be an 
endless number of them and every year 
brings a new batch, so in order to keep up 
to date it is essential to keep in close touch 
with someone making a specialty of-it, and I 
wish to state right here that it is my inten- 
tion to keep abreast of the times and be able 
to furnish them and not resort to the hold- 
up game that so many are trying to put over. 
It is a shame the ridiculous prices | have 
heard some are charging for them and they 
are not dependable either, so | plan to make 
some kind of arrangements whereby at least 
those who do business with me will not be 


held up. 


You will probably find a slip accompany- 
ing the book with a list of the codes and a 
schedule of prices, and | am sure the com- 
pleteness of the list will speak for itself and 
the prices within reach of all. 


] hope the locksmiths will appreciate this 
and avail themselves of the opportunity, for 
their business and co-operation will be the 
only means of keeping the prices where they 
ought to be. 


If you do not find what you want in the 
list or do not have one, get in touch with 
me and [| will try and fix you up. 


133 


SAFE WORK 


During the several years I spent in the 
safe business without a doubt | heard my 
share of the wonderful feats of safe opening 
that were pulled off by superhuman safe 
crackers, stunts that were very amusing to 
me on account of the absolute impossibility 
of the results claimed. You no doubt have 
heard time and again of someone seemingly 
possessed of wonderful ability to open safes 
either by the sound or touch or perhaps ex- 
treme sensitiveness of feeling, able as it were 
to practically walk right into almost any safe 
or strong box and try as | did | was never 
able to find a single one of these would-be 
marvelous experts. 


Another strange thing that always oc- 
curred to me whenever I| was obliged to 
listen to one of these wild ones was that the 
‘hero’ nine times out of ten was either dead 
or a convict of some kind or other and the 
community in which he lived got no real 
good out of his extreme skill, and the jobs 
of safe opening always went to the ordinary 
expert. Now to get this feature of magical 
safe opening clearly settled in your mind | 
will state that the longer you work at the 
business and the more you become accus- 
tomed to hearing such wild ideas the more 


readily you will realize there is nothing to 
them and about the only time a safe is 
opened either by the sound, the touch, the 
stethoscope,-sand papered fingers or even 
vessels of liquids as vibration indicators, is in 
the movies and they sure do have some 
marvels there. 


134. 


OPENING TOOL. 
'D NO.1450435. 


PAT 


CYLINDER 


Wilde: 


LAL 


mR Re On 
SSS PESSSSS DSP Mbp 9yy 
Sita Senn EEA SCLETEL? 


135 


I have made the above statements in jus- 
tice to the modern safes for | am confident 
no such stunts can be worked on them, and 
I will tell you the reason why. In the first 
place there is nothing in the sound in work- 
ing a combination that will in any way indi- 
cate in the slightest degree the position of 
a single one of the tumblers, neither is there 
anything in the feeling except that one can 
feel the different tumblers being picked up 
but nothing whatever will give you the 
slightest clue on where to stop. 


Another thing to be considered is that 
when a combination has been worked not a 
single lug or screw that were working together 
during the operation is left in contact when 
the combination has been worked. | think 
I have made this clear and am confident the 
longer one works in the line the more he 
will realize | am right as far as these freakish 
stories are concerned and will soon learn to 
let them go in one ear and out the other. | 
might further: add that the ‘just ordinary 
safe man’ if the truth were known rather en- 
courages such stories in order to keep the 
unsuspecting public keyed up to the idea 
that a safe man is possessed of a head full 
of profound secrets and wonderful skill 
when in reality he is nothing more than a 
good mechanic for there is not a great deal 
to it. The secret of success in this line con- 
sists entirely in becoming familiar with all 
the different makes of locks and safes and 
using an abundance of good ‘horse sense’. 


The above statements concerning the 
super-human safe openers were well handled 
in an article recently appearing in the Scien- 
tific American. I wish | had the space to 


136 


copy it, but as it was a two-page article it 
would be quite out of the question. I will 
however say that it was in harmony with my 
statements as to the impossibility of the 
freakish safe-opening stunts. The article ap- 
peared in the July, 1925 issue and is well 
worth reading. 


Another thing I| will mention now that it 
seems appropriate is that you can look your 
head off in the combination locks for the so- 
called tumblers and then be disappointed 
for there are none, what are generally re- 
ferred to as tumblers which is the vital 
mechanism of the lock is a set of round 
discs or wheels constructed and mounted in 
such a way that when in operation one comes 
in contact with another. In size they gen- 
erally run from 2 inches to 21/4 inches in 
diameter and about five thirty-seconds of an 
inch thick. In describing the various kinds 
of safe locks | will probably use the word 
tumblers as well as wheels and both will 
mean the same. 


All the better classes of combination 
locks are made and operated on the same 
general principal. First is the outer dial 
connected to the inner wheel by a spindle 
is free to turn and is a unit in itself. The 
remaining wheels ‘generally three’ are assem- 
bled on an entirely separate and inde- 
pendent spindle and in no way connected to 
the outer unit except as they come in con- 
tact through screws or lugs. 


To make this absolutely clear in your 
mind | will go a step further and start from 
the outside of the safe door. First is the 
dial, through the door goes the dial spindle, 


137 


connected to this dial spindle on the inner 
part of the door is the dial wheel or tum- 
bler, these three parts being rigidly con- 
nected and acting as one unit. Next comes 
the ‘tumbler’ spindle with its three rollers 
or tumblers assembled as a single unit and 
so located within the lock casing that they 
are exactly in line with the dial spindle yet 
the dial unit and the tumbler unit are in 
no way connected. The tumbler sets are 
always assembled on their shaft so they are 
free to turn and are separated from each 
other by specially designed washers in such 
a way that the lugs or screws ‘according to 
the make of lock’ will come in contact with 
each other when the tumblers are rotated, 
in this way the turning of the dial is trans- 
mitted to each of the tumblers. 


In order to thoroughly understand the 
action it will be well to describe in detail 
the working of a combination lock, so we 
will take for an example one whose contact 
points are lugs, see cut No. 16, page 41. 


In following the exact action in working 
a combination | will refer to the cut which 
I hope will make it more thoroughly under- 
stood. 7 


As you will notice the lock in the cut 
consists of a dial with its driving wheel and 
a set of three tumblers or wheels, now turn- 
ing the dial one turn to the right the lug G, 
on the driver wheel, No. 4 will come in con- 
tact with the lug on wheel 3, and as the dial 
makes its second turn the opposite lug of 
3 will pick up lug on wheel 2, and on the 
third turn of the dial wheel 2 will pick up |, 
and as the dial is turning its fourth turn it 
may be stopped on any desired combination 


138 


number which will be the first number of ‘the 
combination. 


You will note at this stage all the wheels 
are rotating with the dial as long as it is: 
turning to the right, and the instant you be- 
gin reversing the action you will see that 
only the drive wheel will reverse until it 
has gone a complete revolution then it will 
come in contact with No. 3 taking it in the 
same direction, by this you will note that to 
begin working a combination it is first neces- 
sary to turn the dial four times slowly stop- 
ping on the desired number. 


Now suppose the combination should be 
R-4-25, L-3-10, R-2-35, L-1-15. First turn 
to the right, sotpping on 25, now turn to 
the left and stop on 10, now to the right 
again stopping on 35 and then to the left 
stopping on 15. When you have done this all 
of the ‘bolt dog’ notches will be in line and 
ready to receive the little “dog’ the notches 
are marked L in the cut. 


It is well to always remember that the 
first number of a combination is the last 
wheel in the lock, or the wheel furtherest 
from the dial. 


When a combination has been worked 
and the notches exactly lined up and there 
is a T handle on the safe door it is more 
than likely that all that remains is to turn 
this handle and the door will open. On 
doors having other designs of handles they 
are generally operated by turning the dial 
in the opposite direction until it comes to a 
stop after first completing the working out 
of the combination numbers. After you 
have done this the handle will turn and the 
bolts will throw. 


139 


Never close the door until you have 
worked out the combination at least four 
times or enough that you will be able to re- 
member it and are positive everything is 
O.K. Then close the door and try it out 
again. 


Make it a point to never make any nota- 
tions of any kind on the job that would lead 
the parties for whom you are working to 
‘think you are taking the combination with 
you but instead work it until you can re- 
member it and write it down as soon as you 
leave the place, in this way there will be no 
suspicion of any kind on the part of the 
owner, and works out the best of any scheme 
I ever tried, one good reason being that you 
never can tell when you will be called on to 
open that very safe and if no one knows you 
have the combination you are likely to be 
able to get three times as much for the sec- 
ond job as you would otherwise. 


To lock a safe door it is only necessary to 
close it, throw the bolts and give the dial 
two or three turns and it is locked. 


140 


DIRECTIONS FOR SETTING 
COMBINATIONS 


Yale Lock—Of all the different makes of 
combination locks on the market this par- 
ticular make appeals to me as being about 
as well developed mechanically as any, and 
the work of changing the combination is 
certainly reduced to a minimum. 


After first removing from the door take 
off the set of wheels you will find mounted 
on a short shaft and a complete unit in it- 
self, to do this remove the spring wire re- 
tainer and carefully take each wheel and 
spacer, laying everything in a row just as 
you take them off the shaft. To change the 
numbers simply push the inside of the wheel 
out which will come apart easily, now find 
the indicating line on the inner half and 
push the parts back together with this line 
at any number you desire, proceed in this 
way with each wheel, being careful not to 
get the parts mixed. They are now ready 
to put back on the shaft which you should 
do by placing each part back in exactly the 
same position you took them off, remem- 
bering that the first wheel on is the first 
number of your new combination. When 
you have everything in place try out the 
new combination ‘by memory’ and if it 
works the job is about completed. Now if 
it is a three number (or wheel) combination 


begin by turning to the left, if four begin 
by turning to the right, the object of this can 
be plainly seen by working the dial while 
the combination assembly is out of the lock, 
in this way you can easily see the pick-up 


14] 


of the lock dog by the drive wheel and un- 
derstand why your combination should al- 
ways end up by turning to the right. Be 
very careful to reassemble your combination 
set just as you took off the washers and all 
and you will have no trouble. 


The Hall Lock—To change and set up 
the combination of a Hall, proceed as fol- 
lows: After first removing the inner face 
plate of the door you will find a loosely 
fitted iron fire protection plug, by giving this 
a slight turn it easily comes out, exposing 
the combination lock casing, remove the 
screws and it can be taken out in a unit. 
The wheels in this lock you will find are 
solid with screws for making the contacts, 
now in changing the combination of course 
you could change the position of the screws 
in all the wheels but that is a lot of work 
and | always found it was just as well to 
simply change the screw in the outer wheel, 
this changes the combination sufficiently and 
you run practically no risk of screws com- 
ing loose. 


After you have the lock ready, fasten it 
back into position in the door, you will then 
notice a slot through the casing, this is for 
the purpose of working out the combination 
so make you a key of the proper size and 
length that will just fit this opening and be 
long enough to easily reach past all the inner 
wheels. Next insert the key in the opening 
carefully holding it against the wheel and 
with the other hand turn the dial in the 
proper direction until the key slips into the 
first wheel slot, look at the dial and note 
the number, this will be your first combina- 
tion number. Now reverse the direction 


142 


and turn the dial until the key slips into the 
next wheel slot, note this number also and 
proceed in this manner until all the wheels 
have been lined up and the key has entered 
every slot. When this is done remove the 
key and throw the bolt. With the doar 
open work out the combination several times 
‘by memory’ and if everything works nicely 


the job is no doubt O.K. 


Now replace your fire plug and screw on 
the door plate and ‘collect your money’. 


Sargent & Greenleaf.—In this line of 
locks you will find some made to be changed 
by hand similar to the Yale, while others 
take a specially designed tool or key. The 
variety that change by hand are so near 
alike in action and construction that one fol- 
lowing the instructions [| have given for 
changing a Yale cannot go wrong with this 
make. When they are once removed from 
the caseing it will be easy to see just how it 
is done. 


The key changing lock of this make dif- 
fers in construction and in order to change 
a combination number it is necessary to use 
the special key. On each of the wheels of 
this variety you will see a small hole about 
one-eighth inch square and by inserting the 
key into this opening the changing mech- 
anism can be operated so that one can get 
any desired number. You will find nothing 
difficult in doing this if you once have a key, 
simply take it carefully, keeping track of the 
numbers as they are changed. 


In changing a combination of this kind 
proceed as follows: First have the lock 


143 


worked out on the combination it is already 
set up on, in other words go through the 
operation of unlocking the lock, this will 
line up the little square holes in each wheel 
with a similar opening in the caseing, now 
insert the special key until the little wing 
has passed through the hole in the caseing. 
When you are sure of this give the key a 
quarter turn, this unlocks or releases each of 
the wheels. Next select any set of numbers 
for a new combination you desire and then 
work the combination with the new numbers 
just as you did the old ones. When this is 
done give the key that is holding the wheels 
free a quarter turn back and remove it, the 
wheels will again be locked and set to the 
numbers of the new combination. 


Try it out several times and if it works 
nicely it is probably O.K. 


Still another lock of this make changes a 
little differently, it is made up of the wheels 
and spacing washers but the contact mech- 
anism instead of being on the wheels is on 
the washers, and in making a change in num- 
bers it is only necessary to change the little 
pin in each washer into another hole. Re- 
assemble your lock and work out the new 
combination. 


Now I could go ahead and write page 
after page on combination locks and no 
doubt the more the inexperienced person 
would read the more confused they would 
become, consequently | feel it is a waste of 
time to give you much more in the way of 
detail on the combination lock. I would 
suggest that if one intends doing much in 
the safe line it would be a capital idea to 


144 


hunt up a couple of old locks and get all 
the construction details from them, you will 
find the general principal will run about the 
same in all the makes, in other words if you 
will become familiar with a couple you will 
be able to get by with about any make that 
I can think of. 


The main thing is to get all the informa- 
tion possible and by experience if possible, 
then rustle some jobs and learn from them 
everything you possibly can. Be observing, 
have plenty of confidence in yourself, lots of 
“nerve’’ and it will not be long before you 
will be looked upon as an expert. 


When you have become familiar with the 
Yale, Sargeant & Greenleaf, Hall and one 
or two others you will easily be able to 
change any combination, in fact it is doubt- 
ful if you will ever come across any but the 
above mentioned locks. 


145 


SAFE OPENING 


Safe Opening.—On the subject of safe 
opening allow me to say to begin with that 
it is truly remarkable how many jobs you 
will be called on to do when there is noth- 
ing at all serious the matter and when I! say 
serious | mean a real job from an experts 
' point of view. For instance, I once made a 
trip of 500 miles to repair a safety deposit 
vault door, one of those big massive round 
doors weighing probably in the neighbor- 
hood of twenty tons. The party in charge 
noticed one‘morning the door did not swing 
back to the position it usually took when 
opened, immediately became alarmed and 
wired for the expert. Well as soon as | 
landed on the job | soon found that the 
entire weight was carried on a big bronze 
washer and they having neglected to oil it 
sufficiently it had worn down slightly on one 
side and when it got just dry enough and 
they opened the door it carried this washer 
around to a new position and consequently 
the door did not swing exactly as it usually 
had, the result was I soon got the washer 
back to its old position, oiled it up well and 
everything was O. K. It cost them about a 
$100.00. 


Another time | went almost as far to open 
a burglar-proof safe in a bank. After a 
little examination and inquiry | found the 
combination lock was all right, the time lock 
had tripped off perfectly but they could not 
get the door open, it just seemed to start and 
that was all. This was a case of using your 
head, so | decided all that could possibly be 
the matter was, they probably had neglected 
to keep the door properly oiled and as it 


: 146 


* 


had been drawn up to a fit in closing the 
two dry surfaces had picked up a burr when 
they had started to open it. 


I got a heavy fence post about six feet 
long and a couple of good husky fellows to 
help me and when | was ready | had them 
ram the post against the front of the door 
and at the same time I gave the opening 
crank a good hard jerk, and about three of 
these doses and the door was open. Just 
what I had guessed proved correct so | 
smoothed up the metal again, gave it a good 
oiling and it worked like a charm. Another 


$50.00 easily made. 


I could go on and relate dozens of similar 
stories but mention these two simply to show 
you how easy some of the big jobs really 
are. It resolves itself into a case of properly 
sizing up the job, using your head and with 
plenty of confidence getting busy. 


Both of the jobs that | have just men- 
tioned were burglar-proof doors and the 
ordinary fireproof safe jobs run along in 
about the same conditions, easier if anything. 


The majority of safe work you will find 
(unless you are connected with some big 
safe company) will be the repairing and 
changing of combinations, but one of course 
must always be prepared to handle the open- 
ing jobs which are bound to come along 
occasionally. 


The causes of lock trouble with safes very 
often are caused by inexperienced persons 
trying to change a combination so the lock 
sticks and refuses to work simply for the 
want of some oil (all safes should be 
cleaned and oiled once a year), again the 
combination gets lost, changing of firms and 


147 


so on, in fact there are any number of causes 
and they all make work for the safe man. 


As | have mentioned before, no matter 
how little the job is you may be doing ona 
safe, get the combination if possible, keep 
a record of them in code for you never can 
tell when you may be called on to open that 
same safe, and if you are lucky enough to 
have the combination it will be easy money 
for you. Many a time by this foresight | 
have opened a safe in five minutes and then 
played with it for an hour to make it look 
like a real job. 


If you have a job where the lock is stick- 
ing try this: Turn the dial several times each 
way and at the same time tap on the end 
with a piece of hard wood, this will often 
loosen it up sufficiently to work the com- 
bination. If this fails after several trials, 
work out the combination to the last num- 
ber and before you reverse to come to a 
stop, rap the safe door just above the dial 
with a block of wood and a hammer and if 
the bolt dog is sticking this generally jars it 
into position so it will open, and if a lock 
still fails to work after these tests it probably 
will have to be drilled. 


148 


SAFE DRILLING 


For drilling safes the necessary tools do 
not amount to very much, a heavy chain drill 
‘and some high speed drills, punches, a ham- 
mer and a long piece of steel that will reach 
through the thick doors are about all the 
tools needed. There will be times when one 
cannot use the chain drill and will have to 
resort to a ratchet drill and some kind of an 
‘old man’, or fix up some wooden blocking 


for the drill. 
The high speed drills you will find the 


most satisfactory though you can use the 
ordinary kind if necessary. Have some 
good punches, both center and flat and the 
flat ones should be about the size of the 
drills you use in boring your holes. 


When drilling to pick up the combination 
one simply drills a hole sufficiently large and 
properly located to either pick them with a 
wire or by sight with the aid of a small 
lamp. 

Turn the dial until the first slot comes in 
view ‘through the hole’, then reverse and 
with a wire feel for the next slot. When 
you have located this reverse again and 
continue until you have picked them all up. 

Personally | seemed to always have the 
best success by simply looking through the 
hole and with the aid of a special light, lin- 
‘ing them up that way. If this can be done 
by sight it is better for this reason, after you 
have lined them up and noted the numbers 
each time you can line them up in any posi- 
tion by simply working to a pencil line on 
the ring at any place you may desire. When 
ever possible | always made it a point to 
drill right through the ring next to the dial, | 


149 


in this way you can easily repair the ring. 
You do not have to be so particular about 
finishing off the plugged hole and it in no 
way disfigures the finish of the door. 


When it is not possible to open by lining 
up the wheels, then one will have to drill to 
reach some vital part between the handle 
and the combination lock, and either punch 
off the back of the lock casing or some of 
the bolt mechanism between the handle and 
the combination lock, when this is done the 
handle can then be turned and the door 
opened. 


Most of the safes you will find easy to 
drill, a few however have a drill-proof steel 
plate to protect the lock, in this case it is 
necessary to brake through the hard plate 
with the center and flat end punches, work- 
out a hole first with the heavy center punches 
and size it up with the flat end tools. When 
driving a hole through the steel do not 
strike too hard a blow or you run a risk of 
bulging the inner soft plate, and by all means 
avoid this or you will be unable to operate 
the bolt after you have it drilled and ready 
to open. 


In drilling to the hard plate, drill out all 
the soft metal by using a square end dri!!, 
then punch out a hole in the hard plate and 
finish the hole through the inner soft plate 
with the drill. 


Some experts will tell you that you must 
have special drills and punches and so on,’ 
but that is not necessary, for | have opened 
as many safes as the average expert and 
never had anything special that I know of 
and I consider such yarns as that a lot of 


bunk. 
150 


When you have drilled and opened a safe 
you are then ready to repair the damage you 
have done, and in filling up the hole it is 
best to tap it out, screw in a plug and then 
rivet it and finish down smooth and paint. 
If you do a good job it eal be hard to find 
where the hole was. 


As to charges for such work, I will say 
that you always want to make it plenty high. 
Never charge less than $10.00 for a safe of 
any kind and if it presents difficulties such 
as hard plates and various other ailments, 
charge more. 


A complete record of all measurements 
for drilling and opening should be on hand 
for any emergency. 


I have come to the conclusion that it 
would not be a wise idea to include as part 
of the book anything in the way of measure- 
ments as to drilling safes, but for those hav- 
ing an established business and legitimately 
interested in th line, have prepared a 


sheet gi @ directions for prac- 
tically all * lar makes—this sheet 
contains a Ation and is as com- 


plete as f can‘y ossibly make it, and instead 
of costing you'from $5.00 up it will be 
mailed free to any purchaser of my book 
who will send me 25c in stamps or coin. 


m oe ome 
z 
F 


151 


A NEW CYLINDER OPENING TOOL 


About five or more years ago | got an 
idea in my ‘bone’ head that it might be 
possible to devise a tool of some kind that 
would successfully open a cylinder, and as 
I have stated previously in the book I be- 
lieve I have tried out about every idea in 
this line that has ever been thought of and 
all with very discouraging results, and by 
picking out the flaws with all of these wild 
ideas and keeping in mind anything that 
looked as though it might be of any value, | 
begun to work on an entirely different sys- 
tem and when | say different | mean different 
from anything | had ever head of and that 
was the effect of vibration and it was not 
very long before | begun to get results that 
were in a way very encouraging, in fact | 
considered them marvelous, and ‘the result 
has been that | have made me a tool that 
seems to be able to open about any cylinder 
I have ever tried it in. This is a broad asser- 
tion but never the less it is so, and while I do 
not feel that it is as yet complete or per- 
fected | am confident | will be able to 
develop it to a point where it will be entirely 
dependent, and if this is the case it is useless 
for me to state just how important a tool of 


this. kind will really be. 


Now as to description I will say that in 
appearance it resembles a great deal the 
common toy pistol. | have arranged a sort 
of a handle to it and from what you would 
call the barrel | extend a straight spring for 
about an inch and a quarter, now this spring 
continues back into the hollow barrel and is 
fastened down in the handle about in the 


152 


middle of the tool I have arranged a ratchet 
arrangement actuated by a trigger action, 
this trigger ends in a ring through which | 
put my finger and by pulling it back and 
forth | have obtained a vibrating action that 
produces exactly the results I am after. 


Just under the spring as it leaves the barrel 
I have placed a little lug, this is for the pur- 
pose of putting a turning tension on the 
cylinder plug while | vibrate the spring with 
the trigger. 


| have found that this spring vibrator must 
be of about a size equal to the combined 
strength of all the pin springs and this is a 
point | have as yet not definitely determined, 
although [| believe a tension arrangement 
could be installed whereby an exact size 
would not be absolutely necessary. 


Now I have given you about all the fea- 
tures that | have worked out and if you are 
interested you are at liberty as far as | am 
concerned to continue from this point on. 
The tool in itself seem simple enough and 
apparently needs but little more in the way 
of development and from the results | have 
had I really believe almost anyone would be 
well repaid for any time they would spend 
in the making of one. 


] have promised from time to time to fix 
up some drawings to assist those interested 
and desirous of building something of this 
kind and luckily someone who has evidently 
been doing considerable experimenting in 
that line think they have developed one to 
such a degree of perfection that they have 
had it patented. 


153 


A friend | have been in touch with for a 
number of years informed me of this and 
after considerable searching | finally located 
the patents and | have arranged a couple of 
cuts showing the features of two of them. 
The one shown on page 127, Nos. I1, 12, 
13, 14, 15 and 16 will give you the idea of 
how it is assembled but I cannot see where 
it can be made to give much of any results. 


The cuts on page |35 shows a much bet- 
ter idea, in fact it has been worked out so 
nearly on the plan I have previously sus- 
gested that | am tempted to think the 
patentee has profited by some of my sug- 
gestions. 


The tool apparently has been developed 
to be manufactured and marketed through 
the regular trade channels, but so far | have 
never seen one of them and any way there is 
nothing to prevent a person from making 
something of this kind for their own use. 


There is so little to any of the tools and 
ideas mentioned that almost anyone with 
any kind of a shop ought to be able to make 
one that will work successfully. 


154 


_ Following is a list of the principal man- 
ufacturers of locks and keys, those you will 
be coming in contact with almost every day. 
There may be a few others but you will sel- 
dom have a key to make other than the 
following makes. 


Yale and Towne Mfg. Co. __............ Stamford, Conn. 
Corbin Cabinet Lock Co. -......... New Briton, Conn. 
SEE Sa 2 C5 a a New Haven, Conn. 
Russell Erwin Mfg. Co. -........... New Briton, Conn. 
Sargent & Greenleaf Co. ................ Rochester, N.Y. 
RESIS US EG) Oa Terryville, Conn. 
Chantrell Hardware & Tool Co. ........ Reading, Pa. 
eumeock Co. |. .......2... Philadelphia, Penn. 
Norwalk Lock Co. .................. So. Norwalk, Conn. 
Rearding Hardware Co. ___.....-........... Reading, Pa. 
Marrowe lock Co. 2c ae... Lockport, Ill. 
Segal Lock and Hardware Co. ...... New York, N.Y. 
Sceitem ieee wo.) eee. Clinton, Iowa 
ipa celal ly SPSS his i ae Chicago, IIl. 
Hamilton Hardware Corp. ___._..... Waterbury, Conn. 
Vaughn Foundry Co. .............-2..-..-. Norwich, Conn. 
Belleville Foundry Co. _..........-......... Belleville, Ill. 
Union Hardware Co. ___.............. Torrington, Conn. 
LPR oi CUS I rc ee Chicago, Ill. 
Independent Lock & Key Co. ....Leominster, Mass. 
Eg Oa oe Oe, i Derby, Conn. 
Eecelsior. Lock Co; _.............-.--.----- Lancaster, Pa. 
Excelsior Hardware Co. ...............- Stamford, Conn. 
Francis Keil & Son ....................---- New York, N. Y. 
Brooklyn Brass Works _..................... Brooklyn, N.Y. 


A majority of the above listed firms have 
representatives in nearly all the large cities. 


155 


The following list of key machines was 
given me by a traveling man continually 
coming in contact with all the different 
makes, who with out a doubt is well qualified 
to judge the good features of all of them. 
They are as follows, in the order of his 
choice: 


Graham, Beisser, Segal, Am. Duplex, 
Yale, Corbin, R. & E., Philadelphia, and 


several others. 


GUNSMITHING 


Nearly all locksmithing shops are obliged 
to do more or less gunsmithing and while it 
is a specialized business in itself, for the 
benefit of those that have no way of learn- 
ing anything in this line, I will give you a 
few stunts which will come in handy. 


To make and temper a spring, proceed as 
follows—select your steel and make to the 
required shape and size before hardening. 
To temper, fasten a piece of wire for hold- 
ing, and after rubbing all over with common 
brown laundry soap (some swear by Octa- 
gon soap) heat evenly to a cherry red and 
dip in luke warm water, then dip in oil and 
hold in the blaze until the oil begins to burn, 
keep putting in the fame and out again until 
the oil entirely burns off—this is an old, old 
system and very reliable. 


156 


To straighten barrels perfectly is consid- 
erable of a job. About the only suggestion 
I can offer is to carefully bring them back to 
proper alignment in the opposite way to 
which they were bent. This will work out 
for ordinary cases but for an expensive gun 
I would say let some one do it—that really 
knows how. 


Dents are removed by forcing a plug into 
the barrel and tapping the spot with a soft 
hammer. One can bring them out quite 
easily. 


Bugles are treated in practically the same 
way. 


If the spot shows any effects of the defect, 
simply finish off with emery cloth and warm 
it up to recolor. 


To refinish gun stocks rub down with fine 
emery paper, wipe over with wet rag, then 
sand paper again; repeat this two or three 
times. When the surface remains perfectly 
smooth, rub well with a mixture of machine 
oil and linseed oil, repeat this several times; 
the result will be a nice looking stock. 


A number of other ways are probably 
just as good, some of them perhaps better. 
A good idea is to get some information from 
a high-class furniture finisher. 


To remove bullets from rifle barrels, first 
soak well with some powder solvent; several 
different brands are on the market; when 
well soaked drive it out, using your best 
judgment for the condition of the job. 


UMBRELLA WORK 


I am getting so many inquiries from peo- 
ple from all parts of the country looking 
for information and pointers on the umbrella 
business that I have decided to devote a little 
space in this issue to this line. Of course, 
it will not be new or of interest to all of the 
readers, but that is not to be expected. I! 
feel that it would be impossible to get out 
anything of the nature of this little book that 
would be new to everyone. 


There is no line that can be worked, as 
you might say a side line in connection with 
the key business or repair shops, that is bet- 
ter than the umbrell# repairing business. It 
is a line that can be added with the outlay 
of a few dollars and with no additional help 
or equipment, and begins bringing in the 
money at once. 


A few suggestions that will come in 
handy, if you are a beginner, and | dare say 
even if you are experienced you will find 
things of interest, a few of which | will 
enumerate. 


It quite frequently occurs that you will 
have complaints about your covers being 
too small. This invariably happens by turn- 
ing over too much cloth at the tips; be par- 
ticular to make this from 1% to 14 inch and 
you will have solved this trouble. Be very 
careful to do all the sewing through the 
hem and no farther back than necessary to 
get around the rib, otherwise you will have 
trouble with the cover tearing and wrinkling. 


158 


I would not advise anyone who intends to 
do nothing but repairing to attempt to make 
covers, for you will find it considerable of a 
job, and the average repair man cannot use 
a needle or handle a sewing machine well 
enough for that. You will find it much 
more satisfactory and as cheap to handle 
ready-made covers. 


] will give you directions for putting on a 
cover, and for the benefit of those who know 
nothing of the business, I will make it as 
plain as | possibly can. First, be sure you 
have the proper size cover, then provide 
yourself with a tapered piece of wood, insert 
this into the hole in the center of the cover 
until it is about the size of the barrel, or neck 
of the notch (the notch is the fitting that 
holds the ribs at their upper end at the cen- 
ter of the cover), with the stick inserted at 
the proper distance, turn the cover inside 
out and with needle and thread (strong 
linen thread, well waxed) sew through a 
seam and wind around the stick several 
times 14 inch from center; sew in this thread 
ring all the way around, being careful to 
sew well at the seams; do not slight this little 
job for it may cause the cover to tear out 
and be ruined if not well done. In putting 
the cover on the frame, be particular:to put 
a cloth cap on the “‘notch’’ to prevent wear- 
ing of the cover (cloth caps with your ad 
- may be purchased if you do enough business 
to justify it). Now sew the tips to the ends 
of the ribs with silk thread, and partly open- 
ing the cover at the stretcher joints, tack 
each seam opening wide open, tack above 
and below the center at each seam, put a 
cloth or leather under the metal cap that 
holds the center, and also sew a cloth cove: 


159 


over the runner and the job is practically 
done. A little sponging takes out the 
wrinkles, and all pressing should be done 
with a piece of wet muslin to avoid any iron 
marks on the cover. 


This might seem to be quite a job, but 
with a little practice it will take but a very 
few minutes and you will be well repaid for 
your labor, especially on the better grades 
of umbrellas, the quality of which largely 
regulates the price. — 


The repair jobs that you will get, nine 
times out of ten, will be putting in a new rib. 
This little stunt pays from twenty-five to 
seventy-five cents, and takes from five to ten 
minutes’ time. 


First make a stand similar to the drawing 
on page 37 and insert your umbrella; now 
cut a couple of the tips loose, one on each 
side of the broken rib, and turn it inside out; 
cut the wires holding the ribs and stretchers, 
taking them out, this releases your broken 


rib and though the umbrella looks badly 


wrecked it is easily put together again. 


Selecting a new rib of the proper size and 
beginning at the slot in the “‘notch’’ rewire 
the ribs, going from one to the other, slip- 
ping them onto the wire, then into the slot, 
being particular to get the new one in its 
proper place. When you have gotten all 
around, get all the ribs in their places and 
twist the wire up tight and bend the twisted 
end down next to the rod. Now proceed in 
exactly the same manner with the stretchers, 
and when you have them both wired in, it 
is well to try it out before sewing back the 
cover, for quite frequently one gets the 


160 


stretchers and ribs out of line and part of it 
has to be rewired; being a little particular, 
however, will avoid all this. The actual ex- 
pense of this job is about one and one-half 
cents, five or ten minutes’ time, and you 
should get from twenty-five cents up. You 
see the margin is good, and if you have any 
location at all, you ought to take in many a 
dollar that otherwise is getting away. 


To put on a handle is the simplest thing 
in the world. Simply use the cement made 
for the purpose by melting and running it in 
and then warming up the rod, insert it to the 
proper depth, let it cool, and the job is done. 
Twenty-five cents for the ordinary job and 
more in proportion to the quality. 


Now I might go ahead and give you an 
idea of what you will need to get started, 
but I hardly think it necessary, for anyone 
with any idea of. it at all ought to be able to 
order what few things they need to get 
started. 


How to get a steel screw out of a handle 
when broken off flush with the bone, pearl 
or material it happens to be made of. 


First cut off a piece of umbrella rod about 
three inches long and file teeth in the end, 
as per illustration No. 12. Use a drill chuck 
or brace, and you have a very efficient hol- 
low drill. Use carefully, and when you have 
gone in deep enough you will find the screw 
in the drill. With this method you can make 
different sized drills with practically no ex- 
pense, and though they are not of good ma- 
terial, they will do the work, and if they 
were of tool steel the cement would soon 
spoil them, so in the end the home-made 


16] 


anes will prove as good as more expensive 
ones. 


The cuts will give you the idea without 
further explanation, Nos. 12 and 13, page 
56. 


I will now explain how I make a hacksaw 
eut of what is generally waste material, 
which is better in many ways than any saw 
you can buy. 


Take a piece of clock spring from a quar- 
ter to a half inch wide and eight inches long. 
If you happen to have a couple of pieces of 
smooth-faced pieces, such as cold rolled 
steel, say one-half by one inch and eight 
inches long, clamp the steel between this in 
a vise, leaving it a trifle higher than the 
clamps; take a cold chisel well tempered and 
ground sharp, and with a fairly long taper 
and with a light hammer tap the chisel light- 
ly where you want the first tooth; hold your 
chisel on the edge of the steel behind this 
tooth and drag it toward the tooth unti! you 
feel the chisel touching, tap again and you 
have the second tooth; continue this across 
the blade, and the result will be a very fine, 
sharp, evenly cut saw blade, which for light 
work is superior to anything you can buy. 
When you have the blade cut, draw the ends 
and drill your holes for the frame, and when 
you have it stretched rub a stone along each 
side to even up the teeth, and it is ready 
for business. With a little practice you can 
cut one in less than five minutes and it is 
well worth the time. The drawing will help 
you to understand the entire operation. 


(See page 37, Nos. 29 and 30). 


162 


BELL WIRING 


Another branch of the business that all 
locksmiths are called upon to do is the in- 
stalling and repairing of bells. This is a 
nice line, and in answer to a number of 
urgent requests that | devote some space to 
the line, I have arranged a page of drawings, 
and they seem so plain it is hardly necessary 
to go into detail as far as an explanation is 
concerned. No. |, page 164, is a simple bell 
metallic circuit, including bell, battery, push 
button and circuit wires. This system is used 
about 98 per cent of the time, though one is 
occasionally called on to install a grounded 
system (No. 2). No. 3 shows bell outfit with 
push buttons connected in parallel, often 
used in offices where a bell is to be rung 
from several different positions. No. 4 isa 
bell connected in parallel. They may also 
be connected in series, but if this is done, 
one must be a single stroke, otherwise the 
armatures will not vibrate in unison. No. 5, 
a bell showing all connections and construc- 
tion. No. 7, the method of connecting up 
the ordinary annunciator outfits. No. 6, a 
test for crossed wires. C and D may also 
be tested out with a bell. No. 8 a test for 
a break in the circuit. Connect a bell at 
the battery, and, working toward the push 
button, connect across with a knife blade at 
D, Cand B. If at E the bell does not ring, 
the break is, of course, between E and B o 


at A. 


163 


ELFCTRIC BELL CIRCUITS 


No lI. No 2. . 
S(MPLE BELL SIMPEE CIRCUIT 
METALLIC A wiTH GROUND 

CIRCUIT. | } RETORN, 


>< 
QROUND- PLATE. 


CONNECTED i 
IN 
PARALLEL | 


CELLS IN SERIES 


TEST FOR CKOSSEO 
WIRE IN BELL 


: E 
CONNECT SHORT PIECE oF WIRE B. jl! |! : 
PLACE Cava Don THE TONGUE |i SO rae 
IF THE WIRES ARE SHORTED (T BREAAER 
WILK.BE INDICATED BY A METALLIC TASTE 
ON THE TON QUE, IFNOT IT INDICATES 
A BREAK. OR LOOSE CONNECTION, 


CO ee ee ae 


© CONWROTION Fo EABCTRO MARRET, 


No & rest ror BReRK IN CRCUIT 
a A, 8. 


164 


SHOP NOTES AND FORMULAE 


Starting a Small Screw.—To start a sinall 
screw in a difficult place, a piece of fine wire 
is wrapped around the threaded part for 
several turns and the other end bent up to 
form a handle so that the screw can be held 
in front of the hole that it is supposed to 
goin. The screwdriver is then used to start 
it and when started, the wire is withdrawn 
by holding the handle of the screwdriver still 
while the wire is pulled hard enough to pull 
it out. The screw is then driven home. 


Tapping Holes in Sheet Metal.—In order 
to obtain a farmer hold for machine screws, 
when used in threaded holes in sheet metal, 
says Popular Mechanics, drill the hole with 
a drill somewhat smaller than the tap to be 
used. Then use a drift of the proper diam- 
eter to enlarge the hole. On using the tap, 
quite a number of extra threads can be cut, 
on account of the drift raising a burr on the 
raetal. 


Tap Guide Block.—A handy device is a 
steel block with holes for taps drilled from 
4 to | inch. The block squares the tap so 
that it is perpendicular to the surface of the 
work. After three or four threads have been 
tapped the block is removed by loosening 
the wrench and lifting off. This contrivance 
is a great time saver. 


Reinforcing a Small Drill.—A very small 
drill which is liable to break or bend when 
the pressure of the lever is put on can be re- 
inforced by drilling a hole through a bit of 


165 


wood with the drill in question and letting 
the wood take the side strain on the drill. 
The block should extend up to the chuck 
and leave only as much of the drill sticking 
out as the depth of the hole requires. 


Grades of Abrasive.—The numbers rep- 
resenting the grades of emery run from 8 to 
120, and the degree of smoothness of sur- 
face they leave may be compared to that 
left by files, as follows: 

8 and 10 correspond to the cut of a wood 
rasp. 

16 and 20 correspond to the cut of a 
coarse-rough file. 

24 and 30 correspond to the cut of an 
ordinary rough file. 

- 36 and 40 correspond to the cut of a bas- 
tard file. 

46 and 60 correspond to the cut of a sec- 
ond-cut file. 

70 and 80 correspond to the cut of a 
smooth file. 

90 and 100 correspond to the cut of a 
superfine file. 

120 F and FF correspond to the cut of a 
dead-smooth file. 


Sandpaper Kink.—Sandpaper will cut old 
paint faster if kept wet with benzine. 


Keep Sandpaper Dry.—Abrasive paper 
and cloth should never be stored in a damp 
place, as the glue absorbs moisture very 
quickly. This loosens the grain and causes 
it to rub off before it is dull. 


Speed of Grindstones.—Grindstones to 
grind machinists’ tools should be run at a 
speed of about 800 feet per minute at its 


166 


periphery. A 30 inch stone should be run 
about 100 revolutions per minute. When 
used to grind carpenters tools a speel of 
600 feet at the periphery. A 30 inch stone 
should be run 75 revolutions per minute. 


Rule for Gearing UP Engine Lathes for 
Screw Cutting.—Read from the lathe index 
the number of threads per inch cut by equal 
gears and multiply it by any number that 
will give for a product a gear on the index; 
put this gear upon the stud, then multiply 
the number of threads per inch to be cut by 
the same number and put the resulting gear 
upon the screw. 

Example.—To cut 111% threads per inch. 
We find on the index that 48 into 48 cuts 
6 threads per inch, then 


6 x 4 = 24, gear on stud. 
and 11!4 x 4 = 46, gear on screw. 
Any multiplier may be used so long as 
the products include gears that belong with 
the lathe. For instance, instead of 4 as a 
multiple we may use 6. 


Thus, 6 x 6 = 36, gear upon stud. 
and 11'4% x 6 = 69, gear upon screw. 


Rule for Finding the Length of Belts.— 
Add the diameter of the two pulleys to- 
gether, multiply by 3)%, divide the product 
_ by 2, add to the quotient twice the distance 

between the center of the shafts, and the 
product will be the required length. 


How Belts Should. Be Run.—Belts should 
always be run grain or hair side to the pul- 
ley. A belt made of firm leather, cut from 
the back or center of the hide, run grain 
side to the pulley, will draw 34 per cent 
more than flesh side to the pulley; 48 per 


167 


cent more than rubber; 121 per cent more 
than canvas. 


Keep belts clean. Scrape all dust and 
‘dirt off. Keep belts soft and pliable by 
using good neatsfoot oil. Never use resin 
or other sticky substance on any belt. 


To Temper the Points of Small Tools.— 
Heat in the ordinary way to the right tem- 
perature and run the heated point into a 
potato; this hardens very hard and must be 
drawn to the right temper to remove its brit- 
tle condition. A cake of beeswax may be 
used instead of the potato: This will not 
harden quite as hard as the potato. 


To Temper Drills.—If you have a job that 
requires an unusually hard drill, heat the 
drill to a nice cherry red and dip about a 
quarter of an inch of the end in common 
soldering acid (muriate of zinc). 


To Temper Steel Very Hard.—Water 4 
parts; flour | part; salt 2 parts; mixed to a 
paste. Heat the steel until a coating adheres 
when dipped into the mixture; then heat to 
a cherry red and cool in cold soft water. The 
steel will come out white and very hard. 


To Temper Steel on One Edge Only.— 
Dip the edge to be tempered into hot lead 
until proper color; then temper in ordinary 
fashion. : 


Methods for Heating Chisels, Lathe Tools, 
Etc.—Place a 3 inch gas pipe on a forge. 
Cover same with coal. Keep turning your 
pipe until you get an even heat. Place your 
article inside and you can watch the tool 
while it is getting to the right degree of 
Fahrenheit for plunging into the liquid. 


168 


Thermometer for Tempering.—Use ther- 
mometer in a kuth of oil. Place stock in 
same ana you can get any temperature you 
want. 395 F. is a very good temper for 
edged tools. 550 F. makes a good clock- 
spring temper. 


How To Anneal Small Tools.—Prepare 
two pieces of wood with one surface of each 
perfectly smooth. Heat the articles to be 
annealed to a cherry red and place them 
between the two smoothed surface of the 
wood and clamp the whole in a vise. The 
hot metal will burn a pocket with charcoal 
surrounding it. When thoroughly cool the 
tool may be removed. 


Annealing Steel.—For small pieces of 
steel, take a piece of gas-pipe two or three 
inches in diameter, and put the pieces in it, 
first heating one end of the pipe and draw- 
ing it together, leaving the other end open 
to look into. When the pieces are of a 
cherry red, cover the fire with sawdust, use 
a charcoal fire, and leave the steel in over 
night. 


Another Way to Anneal Steel.— Place a 
quantity of newly-burnt lime in a damp place 
where it will fall in the form of flour; put it 
in an iron box. Heat the articles to dull red; 
clean off all scale and put in lime and com- 
pletely cover with lime; cover box over with 
iron lid and leave until cold. The more lime 
and the larger the box, the better. Keep 
air-tight if possible. 


To Blue Small Steel Pieces.—Put sand in 
a babbit ladle, heat hot, put work in, shake 
the work over the fire until the required 
color is obtained. 


169 


Bluing Solution.—A method of bluing 
small steel goods by dipping, is to melt salt- 
peter in an iron pot, then immerse the pre- 
viously polished and cleaned articles until 
sufficiently blued. Remove and cool at once 
in paraffin oil and afterwards dry out in 
sawdust. 


Browning Solution.—One ounce (copper 
sulphate); | ounce sweet spirits of nitre; 
| pint clean water. Apply with sponge and 
allow time for drying between each coat; 3 
to 5 coats will give good results. Rub down 
with oiled rag after browning solution is dry. 


Coppering Steel for Laying Out Work.— 
To copper the surface of polished steel, use 
a solution of | ounce of copper sulphate dis- 
solved in 8 ounces of water. If a few drops 
of sulphuric acid is added to the above solu- 
tion it will tend to. remove the oil that may 
be on the surface of the steel. Heating small 
pieces of steel to a blue will give a similar 
surface. | 


Etching Solution.—Three parts nitric acid 
to one part muriatic acid. Cover the piece 
to be etched with beeswax. This can be 
done by heating the piece in a gas or alcohol 
flame and rubbing the wax over the surface. 
Use a sharp steel point or hard lead pencil 
point asa marker. A pointed glass dropper 
con be used to put the solution at the place 
needed. After the solution foams for two 
or three minutes, remove with blotting paper 
and put oil on the piece and then heat and 
remove the wax. 


To Anneal Cast Iron.—Heat to a cherry- 
red having it lie level in the fire. Then with 
tongs, put on a piece of sulphur, a little less 


170 


in size than the hole is to be. This softens 
the iron entirely through. Let it lie in the 
fire until cooled, when it is ready to drill. 


Anti-Rust Drilling Compound. — One 
pound sal soda to | pint machine oil and 
mix with 4 quarts clean water. This com- 
pound is ready to use after standing a half 
day. 


Drillmg Aluminum.—Use kerosene oil— 
works well also in drilling, reaming or turn- 
ing malleable iron. 


To Prevent Files from ‘“‘Pinning.’’—In fil- 
ing steel or wrough iron, the file is liable to 
“pin, that is, the filings become wedged 
between the teeth. This may be prevented 
to an extent by filling the spaces with chalk 
or oil, or both. Ifa file card fails to remove 
filings, use a thin piece of soft iron, not hard 
steel. 


How to Anneal Brass or Copper.—lIn 
working brass or copper.° it will become ~ 
hard, and if hammered to any great extent 
will split. To prevent cracking or splitting, 
the piece must be heated to a dull red heat 
and plunged into cold water ;this will soften 
it so it can be worked easily. Be careful not 
to heat brass too hot, or it will fall to pieces. 
The piece must be annealed frequently dur- 
ing the process of hammering. 


Anti-Rust Compound for Machinery.— 
Dissolve | ounce camphor in | pound melted 
lard, skim off and stir in about 3 ounces 
powdered graphite. Clean the machinery 
and paint with a brush and allow one day to 
dry, then rub off the mixture with a soft 
cloth. 


171 


Anti-Rust for Tools.—Four ounces of 
vaseline and 4 ounce of powdered cam- 
phor gum; mix together by heating over a 
slow fire. Apply with a rag. 


Oil That Will Not Corrode or Thicken.— 
Take a bottle about half full of good olive 
oil, put in thin strips of sheet lead; expose 
it to the sun for a month's time, then pour 
off the clear oil. The above is a very cheap 
way of making a first-class oil for any light 
machinery. 


Graphite.—Mixed with heavy oil or com- 
pound is excellent for putting screwed pipe 
tocether. It has the advantage of making it 
easy to take apart later if need be. 


Tinning Acid for Brass and Coprer — 
Muriatic acid, one pound; give it al! tne zinc 
it will dissolve; add four ounces sal ammon- 
iac, one pint water. 


Acid for Soldering Brass and Copper.— 
Muriatic acid, one pound; zinc, four ounces, 
sal ammoniac, five ounces. 


Acid for Soldering fron.—Muriatic acid, 
one pound; sperm tallow, six ounces; sal 
ammoniac, four ounces. 


Fluxes for Soldering or Welding. 


Copper and Brass ..........--..-- Sal Ammonzniac 
Tron. sacccniceh sede eee Borax 
Lead o50-n0i 33 Tallow or Resin 
Lead and Tin Pipes ....Resin and Sweet Oil 
Tinned Iron ......2..1.4.45 ee Resin 
TENN Rae ROSA i Chloride of Zinc 


Melting Babbitt.—Put a piece of resin, the 
size of a walnut, into your babbitt; stir thor- 
oughly, then skim. It makes babbitt run 


172 


better, and improves it. Babbitt will run in 
places with the resin in, where without it it 
would not. It is also claimed that resin will 
prevent blowing when pouring in damp 
boxes—better still warm them slightly be- 
fore pouring. 

A little pulverized charcoal put on top of 
melted babbitt or lead will reduce oxida- 
tion. 


Heat for Babbitt Metal.—The greatest 
mistake in using babbitt metal is heating too 
hot before pouring. When the metal is hot 
enough to light a small pine stick, it is ready 
to pour. Never heat the metal until it shows 
red. Babbitt that has been over-heated or 
burnt crystallizes, and when poured is brittle, 
hard and not homogeneous. Never mix 
overheated metal with the good, hoping to 
restore it, as such mixed metal will be brittle. 


Babbitting Kink.—A little cheap resin 
soap is often handy in babbitting to hold the 
metal to its place. If there is a solid box to 
run, a coating of the soap on the shaft will 
make the separating of the box and shaft an 
easy matter. 


A Preventive for Emery in the Eye.—A 
pair of plain glasses that only cost 10 cents 
will save any amount of doctors’ bills at two 
dollars, per. If the workman would apply 
this simple rule whenever using an. emery 
wheel to grind a tool or polish a piece of 
work he would save himself some pain and 
cash. 


Care of Patterns.—All metal patterns 
should be thoroughly cleaned with a stiff 
brush, then with a brush having plenty of 
beeswax in it; dip this brush in powdered 


173 


plumbago. - Brush the pattern well with the 
above and it will draw much better and you 
will have a much smoother casting. 


For Burns and Scalds.—Wet the part with 
cold water and sprinkle with bicarbonate 
of soda (baking soda); the relief is instan- 
taneous and permanent. 


A good practice in foundries, where burns 
are frequent, is to put on thick soap suds. It 
beats all the patent compounds ever gotten 
up, and besides soap is obtainable anywhere 
at any time. The lather keeps out the air 
and draws out the inflammation. After a 
few minutes the burn, if a bad one, may be 
wrapped up, and if just an ordinary burn, an 
occasional application of lather is all that is 
needed. 


Steaming Out Splinters.— When a splinter 
has been driven into the hand it can be ex- 
tracted by steam. Fill a wide mouthed bot- 
tle nearly full of hot water, place the injured 
part over the mouth and press it slightly. 
The action thus produced will draw the flesh 
down, and in a minute or two the steam will 
extract the splinter, also the inflammation. 
‘lry it and be convinced. 


Regarding the Use of Polishing Wheels.— 
In a tool used at so high a speed as a polish- 
ing wheel it is manifestly of greatest im- 
portance that the wheel be well and proper- 
ly made and properly balanced so far as may 
be. For ordinary work a polishing wheel 
should be used at a periphery speed of about 
7500 feet per minute; at a lower rate the 
work tends to tear the polishing material 
from the wheel too readily and poorer work 
is done. 


174 


For roughing, where the corners must be 
square or surfaces flat, use paper or wood 
wheels. 

For roughing large, nearly true, flat or 
curved surfaces use special canvas, solid 
canvas, bull neck, solid sheepskin, paper or 
wood wheels. 


For roughing special shapes of uniform 
design, requiring a wheel that may be turned 
to, and that will hold a special shape, use 
bull neck, solid canvas or paper wheels. 


For roughing irregular shapes where a 
comparatively soft or yielding face is neces- 
sary, use loose sheepskin, stitched sheepskin, 
loose canvas, stitched canvas, solid lamin- 
ated felt or stitched laminated felt. 


For finishing or coloring on either cast or 
sheet metal use felt, bull neck or wood 
wheels. 


The Preparation and Care of Polishing 
Wheels.—More trouble and waste in polish- 
ing comes from either using the wrong glue 
or using a good glue wrong, than from any 
other item. The best polishing wheel made 
will not give efficient service if the glue is 
not right in character and treatment. The 
glue makers themselves find the polishing 
business a puzzle, because the polisher, being 
a polisher, not a chemist, does not know 
what kind of glue to use or how to use it. 

When first setting up a wheel with glue 
and emery, the glue should be thoroughly 
rubbed into the wheel with a brush much in 
the same manner as a barber works lather 
into the beard in shaving. In this manner 
the glue is worked into the wheel thorough- 
ly. Then the glue should be allowed to dry, 
possibly over night. After this drying out 


i a 


process the wheel should be again coated 
with glue, this time much in the same man- 
ner as a painter would apply a coat of paint, 
being careful to leave no laps, for if the 
wheel in this alter process be given an un- 
even coat, it result in ridges which, as soon 
as the work is held against the eS | causes 
the emery to fall off in pieces. After the 
wheel is thus coated with glue, it is put in 
the emery trough and coated with the emery. 

Complaints are occasionally made of pol- 
ishing wheels burning work, but a polishing 
wheel never will burn work if it properly 
used. Burning is the result of working on 
the glue after the emery is worn off. 


Wheels should be cleaned with abrasive 
bricks for removing old emery. Water rol- 
lers can also be used, provided the leather 
or other material does not become soaked, 
or the wheels may be ruined. Never dry 
wheels, after cleaning, with artificial heat, 
let them dry in the air. If the wheels are 
not thoroughly dried, there is not a good 
foundation upon which to recoat, and while 
the outer surface would show the proper 
finish, as soon as the work is held to the 
wheel, the emery glue breaks away, thus 
causing the complaint of inferior glue. 


Directions for Polishing.—Parts to be 
polished, after being first shaped on a solid 
emery wheel, are ‘“‘cut down” on a suitable 
polishing wheel or belt covered with emery 
or corundum, varying in grade according to 
the class of work from Nos. 40 to 60; then 
reduced to a smoother surface with Nos. 90 
to 120 emery. 


Cast iron may then be finished on an oil 
wheel of Nos. 90 to 120 emery, which is 


176 


prepared by charging a worn wheel while it 
is running with oil on a cotton swab. A 
little flour emery paste on this wheel will add 
to its effectiveness. A freshly emery cov- 
ered wheel is too sharp for oil finishing. 
Keep wheel from gumming over by holding 
a piece of lump pumice stone to its face while 
running, as occasion requires. 


Steel and wrought iron require further cut- 
ting down to obtain the best results, and a 
third wheel of Nos. 150 to F emery may be 
used. After this an oil wheel or finishing 
wheel of Nos. 150 to F emery, prepared the 
same as previously described, will give de- 
sired finish. Irregular surfaces to which a 
polishing wheel will not reach, also cylin- 
drical surfaces of small diameter, are worked 
in a similar way with endless polishing belts 
and finished on a brush wheel with emery 
paste and oil. 


Copper and brass castings. After the sec- 
ond “cutting down” with 90 to 120 emery 
(preferably worn wheels) the article may 
be buffed to a finish on a hard muslin buff 
with tripoli composition. A high color is 
produced by further buffing on a soft mus- 
lin buff with brass rouge. 


Rolled copper, brass, German silver, etc., 
may be “cut down” on hard muslin buffs 
with tripoli composition, and buffed to a 
high color on soft muslin buffs with rouge. 


In all polishing operations the successive 
grindings should constantly cross one an- 
other as far as possible, otherwise the 
scratches will not be taken out, and the work 
will not have an even, mirror-like polish. 
The wheels should turn so that the lower 
edge moves avway from the workman and the 


tis 


work is held up to the wheel on its under 
side, so that the dirt, grit, etc., will fly back 
into the hoods, while the work, in case of 
accident, would drop away from the wheel 
instead of falling on it, as would be the case 
if another position were chosen for the work. 
The pressure should be light and even and 
the grinding should, in each case, be con- 
tinued as long as any of the scratches made 
by the coarser previous operation remain on 
the work; when only the marks of the wheel 
in use can be seen, the work may be con- 
sidered ready for the next operation. 


Speed for Polishing Wheels. — FOR 
QUICK CUTTING.—Run bleached cotton 
or rag wheels from 2,500 to 3,000 revolu- 
tions or periphery velocity of about 8,000 to 
9,000 feet for “‘cutting down” and about 
5,000 to 6,000 feet per minute for “‘color- 
ing.’ When using felt wheels, run 2,200 to 
2,500 revolutions. 


FOR COLORING-UP OR FINISHING. 


—vUse soft or unbleached rag wheels. 
GLUE 


Glue to Resist Moisture—One pound 
good flake glue melted in 2 quarts of skim 
milk. 

Glue Cement to Resist Moisture.—F our 
parts good glue, 4 parts black resin, | part 
red ochre. Mix with least possible quantity 
of water. 

Marine Glue.—One part of India rubber, 
{2 parts of mineral naphtha or coal tar. 
Heat gently, mix, and add 20 parts pow- 
dered shellac. Pour out on a slab to cool. 
When used, it should be heated to about 
250° F. 

178 


LET’EM SOAK IN 


Look upon your job as your business, 
financed by your employer, with a guaran- 
teed profit to you, even though he takes a 
loss. 


An employee with a fiery temper is soon 


fired. 


The School of Experience offers but two 
grades Up and Down. 


A ticket collector on a merry-go-round 
is not the only employee who is going all the 
time, but getting nowhere. 


It is the growling man that lives a dogs 


life. 


It takes time to make a position out of a 
job. That is why nearly all worth while 
positions are filled with men who have been 
on the job a long time. 


Unless a firm has satisfied employees, how 
can it ever hope to have satisfied customers. 


‘The Customer is Always Right’’, may be 
a good policy. for the stores that have 
adopted it, but I do not believe there is any- 
one that is always right. 


The market has never Bese CaS wit 
trained braine. Peer ge 


Keep your biisitesy uit “of your peor - 


by putting your. religion into your business. 
Senile hae eo 


Whether or not an employee is receiving 
‘a living wage’, depends entirely on 
whether or not he is willing to live according 
to it. 


_ There is just so many customers and the 
enly way your competitor can increase his 
business is by taking yours from you. 


The fellow who does not credit himself 
with knowing it all, is the man every em- 
ployer is looking for. 


Believe about half you hear and be sure 
it is the right half. 


Can a man loose something he never 
had? Why I ask, we so often hear salesmen 
telling of the fine sales they lost. 


There is nothing on earth an honest man 


need be afraid of. 


When a merchant uses up his time and my 
time trying to sell me something “just as 
good” in the place of giving me what I am 
looking for | generally find another store 
that is just as good. 


The factory clock may not be loosing 
time, but those who watch it do. 


The salesman who can tell a good story 
usually gets a laugh, but the one that can 
show them how to make more money gets 
the order. 


A FEW BLANK PAGES FOR YOUR 
OWN IDEAS 


181 


pst 


50 YEARS 
OF SERVICE 
MEANS 
STABILITY 


COOO!S 


We Issue 
The Most Complete 
KEY CATALOGUE 
ask for it 


OOO®@ 


OUR 
KEY CUTTING MACHINE 
Has No Equal 
Ask For Printed Matter 


@O@OO® 


FRANCIS KEIL & SON, Inc. 


MANUFACTURERS 


401-425 E. 163RD ST. NEW YORK 


EXCELSIOR 
TRUNK and SUIT-CASE LOCKS 


are so well known in our 30 
years of production and 
distribution, it 1s to the ad- 
vantage of all Locksmiths 
to carry our full line of keys. 
Send for our catalog which 
gives cuts and numbers of 


our complete range. 


The 
Excelsior Hardware 
Company 


LOCK MANUFACTURERS 


WOODLAND AVENUE 


STAMFORD. CONN., U. S.A. 


THE 
GRAHAM MFG. Co. 
DERBY, CONN. 
U.S.A. 


OOO"? 


The original manufacturers of key 
blanks of every class and description 
for all makes and classes of locks. 


ESTABLISHED 1865 


A complete line of key blanks and 
locksmith’s supplies 


Machines for 
‘duplicating cyl- 
inder or _ pin 
tumbler keys. 


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